Sussex holds off Charles City in Region A

Sussex Central’s Tigers romped to a 42-0 shutout over Charles City’s Panthers in regular season play. But a rematch three weeks later in the Region A Division 1 football playoffs took on a different character.

Charles City, the region’s third seed, battled back from an early deficit to forge in front in the Nov. 19 region semifinal. Number two seeded and host Sussex then regained the lead and held on in a fourth quarter battle of two high-powered offenses to advance to the final with a 52-44 win.

Charles City’s season ended at 6-5, but the Panthers finished as co-champions in the Tri-Rivers District matching Sussex and Franklin with a 3-1 record.

“I’m so proud of this team,” Panther head coach Steward Greene said afterward. “They’ve fought hard all year long, and I’d take them anywhere. They’re just super good kids.

“It’s unfortunate it has to end like this, but that’s the way it goes,” he added.

Sussex scored on two of its first three possessions for an early 16-0 advantage, threatening to turn the contest into a repeat of the first encounter. But Panther quarterback Trevor Jones took off on a 54-yard dash to set up Charles City’s first TD, a 16-yard Jones to Dominique Williams toss to help narrow the gap to 16-8 as the first quarter closed.

Then the Panthers took advantage of Sussex errors. The Tigers’ Brian Crockett fumbled the ensuing kickoff into the hands of Charles City’s Quentin Williams at the Tiger 12 yard line. Three plays later, Jones hit Terrance Banks on a slant route to reduce the deficit to 16-14.

On Sussex’s next series, Panther linebacker Joseph Tabb stripped the ball from Trayvond Wooden on an end-around and raced 62 yards to the end zone. Now at running back, Tabb ran for the conversion and a 20-16 Charles City lead.

But Sussex regained the lead on a 10-play TD drive and appeared to have the contest under control when massive defensive lineman Craishawn Ellis stepped in front of a Jones screen pass and rumbled 35 yards to help open a 30-20 advantage with under a minute to go in the half.

Charles City, however, struck quickly. Three Jones passes to tight end Dominic Jones moved the ball into Sussex territory. Then on the final play of the half, Banks made a leaping TD catch on a Jones pass deflected in the end zone by a Sussex defensive back. Tabb’s conversion run pulled the Panthers within two, 30-28, at the break.

Charles City owned the ball to start the second half, but could not net a first down. Following a Panther punt, the Tigers drove 72 yards in 11 plays to extend their lead. The hosts took a 38-28 advantage into the fourth quarter.

The Panther passing attack continued to riddle the Tiger secondary. Jones connected with Gregory Cotman on a 51-yard play to set up an Avery Jones to Dominique Williams 23-yard TD pass. Trevor Jones fired to Dominic Jones on the conversion to pull Charles City back within two.

Sussex drove for another score, but the Panthers responded on a Trevor Jones to Avery Jones 8-yard TD strike plus Trevor Jones’ conversion run to cut Sussex’s lead to 46-44.

But the Panthers had no answer after the Tigers added another TD with 1:28 left in the game. Four straight Trevor Jones passes fell incomplete, enabling Sussex to take over and run out the clock.

“Our passing game was going, but [the Tigers] were the better ones tonight, so we’ll try again next year,” Greene said. “Losing our eight seniors is going to hurt, but we’ve got some guys that will fill in the gaps.”