Charles City demolished 82-6 in district opener by KW

Charles City defensive back Kyle Jones wrestles down King William quarterback Jacob Jones during an open field run.

Andre' Jones photo

If what Charles City Panthers received from the Group 2A 10th-ranked King William Cavaliers was a rude awakening, they may never want to go to sleep again.

Despite taking an early lead, the host Panthers were outmatched and crushed by the visiting Cavaliers 82-6 in the Tidewater District opener for both teams.

One of Charles City’s bright spots came on the opening kickoff. Junior running back Jaquane Wyatt fielded the kick at his own 22-yard line and found a gap in the middle of the field. Wyatt managed to sprint all the way to the Cavalier one-yard line before being tackled. However, the junior punched the ball in two plays later to give the hosts a 6-0 lead. But that would be the hosts’ last of the night.

King William’s high-powered and fast-paced offense took possession and didn’t let up. Running back Camajae Peatross took a draw from 47 yards out to give the guests a 7-6 lead. The Cavaliers recovered the ensuing onside kick, leading to Jacob Jones connecting with Austin Simons on a 20-yard pass to double their point total. Jones would connect with Jamal Johnson on a tunnel screen and run for a score of his own to give the guests a 27-6 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter.

The hosts’ defense emerged in the second quarter. After stopping King William’s high-powered offense on two consecutive drives, Panther defensive end Khairi Wyatt would strip Peatross of the ball near the goal-line, foiling the scoring attempt with just over five minutes remaining in the half to keep the Panthers within striking distance.

But that distance would be too much to overcome. A Panther punt to Cavalier return man Malcolm Jackson seemed promising at first as he fumbled the ball. Unfortunately for the hosts, the ball landed in the hands of teammate Peatross who raced 60 yards for the touchdown. Three more touchdowns over a four-minute span quickly followed, resulting in a 55-6 lead for the guests.

Not even the mercy of a running clock spared the Panthers. Charles City fumbled on its next three possessions, all leading to touchdowns for the visitors. One more fumble in the fourth led to the final touchdown for the Cavaliers. In total, the Panthers coughed up the ball eight times, losing seven. The Panthers’ offense was offensive, mustering minus-11 total yards for the game. By comparison, King William totaled 429 yards.

After the game, Panther head coach Alan Jones displayed frustration, easily visible to any observer in the vicinity.

“I knew it was going to be bad, but not this bad,” said Jones. “We were getting pushed down the field all night.

“We need a field house with a weight program,” added the coach, speaking on how many opponents the team has encountered this year that have steady offseason and in-season programs. “We just don’t have the physical capabilities to keep up with these guys.”

King William—— 27 28 20 7 —- 82
Charles City——- 6 0 0 0 —— 0
1st Quarter
CC (10:49) J. Wyatt 1 yard run (run failed) 6-0
KW (10:11) Peatross 47 yard run (Keaton kick) 7-6
KW (9:26) Simons 20 yard pass from Jones (Keaton kick) 14-6
KW (5:02) Johnson 10 yard pass from Jones (run failed) 20-6
KW (2:06) Jones 4 yard run (Keaton kick) 27-6
2nd Quarter
KW (5:17) Peatross 60 yard fumble/punt return (Keaton kick) 34-6
KW (3:41) Young 0 yard fumble recovery (Keaton kick) 41-6
KW (1:47) Ortiz 10 yard run (Keaton kick) 48-6
KW (0:22) Peatross 5 yard run (Keaton kick) 55-6
3rd Quarter
KW (9:45) Peatross 37 yard run (Keaton kick) 62-6
KW (5:42) Jones 13 yard run (kick failed) 68-6
KW (3:10) Smith 8 yard run (Keaton kick) 75-6
4th Quarter
KW (9:30) Ortiz 5 yard run (Keaton kick) 82-6

Rushing (attempts/yards)
KW- Peatross 10/142, Jones 6/51, Smith 5/51, Ortiz 9/59, Vanheizen 3/12, Brown 2/7, Berry-Tucker 1/-3
CC- K. Wyatt 9/-30, J. Wyatt 8/7, Greene 1/1, Crawley 1/-5, Jefferson 1/-9, Tyler 6/-4
Passing (completions/attempts/yards)
KW- Jones 9/16/108, 2 TD, Vanheizen 1/1/2
CC- K. Wyatt 5/16/29
Receiving (receptions/yards)
KW- Pendleton 2/2, Johnson 2/21, Simons 1/20, Jackson 2/46, Peatross 1/10, Plummer 1/9, Kellum 1/2
CC- Greene 1/0, Vaden 4/29