Futility, turnovers keep Panthers from finding win column

Charles City's Michael Callahan (55) wraps up Middlesex's Raquan Marshall to prevent any advancement upfield.

Andre' Jones photo

Statistically, Charles City was only outgained by a mere yard offensively when invading the confines of Middlesex High School during Friday night’s Tidewater District contest. The problem was the Panthers inability to keep possession of the ball.

The visiting Panthers committed five turnovers and muffed three onside kicks as they fell to the host Chargers 53-18.

Misfortune struck early for the guests, as running back Cecil Tyler fumbled the ball away on the fourth play of the game. Middlesex drove the ball down the field 70 yards in seven plays, capped off with a Raquan Marshall one-yard plunge for a score.

The second quarter began prosperous for the Panthers. A Mason Jefferson to Brian Hicks 37-yard pass would pay dividends as Jefferson scored a few plays later to knot the score at six. After a Chargers three-and-out, the duo hooked up again on an audible, resulting in Hicks the recipient of a 65-yard touchdown pass to double up the guests lead (12-6).

But the joy and lead were short-lived. Middlesex returned fire, with quarterback Marquez Holmes finding receiving Tre Hooks on for a 25-yard touchdown pass on fourth and long to tie the score at 12. Jack Ruark’s placement returned the lead to the hosts, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish the rest on the way.

On the ensuing kickoff, a pop-up kick resulted in a muff ball recovered by the Chargers. Six plays later, Holmes would call his own number and carry the ball in from ten yards out. Middlesex regained the ball after Charles City turned the ball over on downs, with the Charger quarterback calling his number again, this time for a 22-yard score and a 26-12 lead heading into intermission.

The Panther offense threatened the Chargers in the third, crossing midfield at the five-minute mark. But a bad snap forced Jefferson to try and recover the ball. Instead, the junior quarterback overshot it, resulting in Charger linebacker Carlos Marshall scooping the pigskin and toting it 68 yards to give the hosts a 20-point cushion (32-12).

Middlesex followed the score up with an onside kick recovery. And even when things went wrong for the hosts, it ended up right. Sitting at the Panthers 30, Hooks ran up the middle and got to the five-yard line where he was stripped by Jefferson. The ball rolled into the end zone, only to be recovered by teammate Jacob Beebe for a score. The Chargers added two touchdowns in the fourth with a one-yard dive from Cameron Wells and Holmes’ 25-yard interception return.

Charles City’s final score came in the waning moments, as Hicks caught his second touchdown of the night from Craig Jones.

After the game, Panther head coach Steward Greene compared his team to an automobile.

“In order to have a car work, all parts of the car must work in sync with each other,” said Greene. “If something is wrong with it, you try to either correct it or minimize the effect of the damage it can do.

“Tonight, we didn’t correct our mistakes or learn from them,” Greene said, specifically pointing to the onside kicks. “We have to do some fine tuning to our vehicle to close out this season on a high note. We still have three games to go and I expect us to grind it out.”

Charles City remains winless at 0-7 on the year. Postseason hopes for the Panthers are all but dwindled, as they hover on the outer edges of being mathematically eliminated from the 12-team field.

1st Quarter
M (7:55)- R. Marshall 1 yard run (kick fail) 6-0
2nd Quarter
CC (10:29)- Jefferson 2 yard run (run fail) 6-6
CC (8:21)- Hicks 65 yard pass from Jefferson (pass fail) 12-6
M (4:59)- Hooks 25 yard pass from Holmes (Ruark kick) 13-12
M (2:47)- Holmes 10 yard run (run fail) 19-12
M (0:12)- Holmes 21 yard run (Ruark kick) 26-12
3rd Quarter
M (4:54)- C. Marshall 68 yard fumble return (kick fail) 32-12
M (3:40)- Beebe offensive fumble recovery (Ruark kick) 39-12
4th Quarter
M (9:30)- Wells 1 yard run (Ruark kick) 46-12
M (7:47)- Holmes 25 yard interception return (Ruark kick) 53-12
CC (2:18)- Hicks 10 yard pass from C. Jones (run fail) 53-18

Passing (completions/attempts/yards)
CC- Jefferson 10/22/169, 1 TD, 3 int.; C. Jones 2/4/36, 1 TD.
M- Holmes 3/14/55, 1 TD; Wells 1/1/13.

Receiving (receptions/yards)
CC- Hicks 3/112, 2 TD; K. Jones 5/59, C. Jones 2/29, Crawley 1/5, Tyler 1/2.
M- Hooks 3/55, 1 TD; R. Marshall 1/13.

Rushing (attempts/yards)
CC- Jefferson 22/107, 1 TD; Tyler 13/33, C. Jones 1/0.
M- Holmes 18/136, 2 TD; R. Marshall 20/91, 1 TD; Wells 6/44, 1 TD; Hooks 2/6, Johnson 1/1.