Trojans rush into Colonial Heights, walk out with 42-13 triumph

New Kent wide receiver Slater Gammon (16) makes the most of his lone reception as Colonial Height's Elijah Shaw tries to drag down the speedy receiver.

Andre' Jones photo

Throughout the offseason, New Kent head football coach Clark Harrell has been asked on several occasions how would the Trojans produce a running game with the departure of Davion Barnes to graduation.

“I’m going to let my offensive line answer that question,” he said.

Did they ever.

Behind the strong front five in the trenches, New Kent amassed 328 rushing yards en route to a 42-13 rout of Colonial Heights in the Sept. 1 season opener for both teams.

A stifling Trojan defense humbled the host Colonials ground game throughout the night. On the second offense drive of the game for Colonial Heights, Ryan Curle hit running back Elijah Shaw, jarring the bar free with Hunter Pitts notching the recovery deep in Colonial territory. New Kent reeled off four consecutive runs, with Bryce St. Clair toting the ball in from nine yards out for the first score of the game and a 6-0 lead for the visitors.

But while the Colonials struggled on the ground, their aerial attack wreaked havoc on the Trojan secondary. Colonial quarterback Terry Lufsey connected with Brandon Smith on a 27-yard pass in front of the home sideline. From there, Shaw made amends from his earlier miscue with a one-yard plunge. Austin Hauser’s point after gave the hosts a 7-6 advantage.

But that lead would be the only one on the night for the hosts. The very next drive New Kent gashed the Colonials’ defense with eight consecutive runs. A 44-yard scamper by Lamont Brandon set up a C.J. Reeders 5-yard burst for a 14-7 lead heading into the halftime intermission.

New Kent’s opening third quarter drive saw the same result with a different back. Sophomore back Evan Branch received the honors from 17 yards out for the score. Julian Thacker’s placement upped the lead to 14 for the guests (21-7).

Colonial Heights looked to shift the tide of the game, as Lufsey connected with Shaw on a swing pass. The elusive running back would make two Trojan defenders whiff on the tackle and score from 46 yards to bring the margin back to a single score (21-13).

But the Trojans’ offensive line refused to buckle. Nine consecutive runs led to St. Clair’s second score of the night to end the third quarter up 27-13. After forcing Colonial Heights to go three-and-out, a Flournoy to Gammon 37-yard pass connection for the visitors led to a third touchdown for St. Clair to open the fourth quarter. Brandon’s 48-yard dash added the final points on the board for the Trojans.

After the game, Harrell referenced the hard work the defense did containing the run.

“We did a good job in containment because they didn’t get a lot of rushing yards,” he said. “We also put some pressure on the quarterback and got to him a few times and that rattled him.

While New Kent’s defense held Colonial Heights to a non-threatening 34 yards on the ground, Harrell said the pass defense must improve in order to remain competitive.

“We knew they had to throw in situations and we just missed some tackles,” the head coach continued. “We were in Cover 2 and Cover 3 and in the right spots but we just didn’t seal the deal with our tackles.”

Overall, Harrell praised the team, especially the dominance by the offensive line to produce more than 400 yards of total offense.

“We moved the ball consistently on offense tonight and they blocked really well,” Harrell said. “They did their thing and kept us moving down the field.

“We didn’t have to throw the ball a lot tonight but when we did it was done effectively,” he added. “The offensive line just stood out for us in this game.”

New Kent improves to 1-0 on the year.

1st Quarter
NK (1:15)- St. Clair 9 yard run (kick fail) 6-0
2nd Quarter
CH (8:58)- Shaw 1 yard run (Hauser kick) 7-6
NK (5:31)- Reeders 5 yard run (Reeders run) 14-7
3rd Quarter
NK (8:34)- Branch 17 yard run (Thacker kick) 21-7
CH (7:17)- Lufsey 46 yard pass to Shaw (kick fail) 21-13
NK (4:28)- St. Clair 7 yard run (kick fail) 27-13
4th Quarter
NK (11:55)- St. Clair 8 yard run (St. Clair run) 35-13
NK (9:47)- Brandon 48 yard run (Thacker kick) 42-13

Passing (completions/attempts/yards)
NK- Flournoy 4/6/99
CH- Lufsey 8/13/201, 1 TD; Spence 5/10/29

Receiving (receptions/yards)
NK- Branch 2/48, Gammon 1/37, Curle 1/14
CH- Shaw 3/107, 1 TD; Smith 7/73, Steele 1/30, Chini 1/17, Rogers 1/3

Rushing (attempts/yards)
NK- Brandon 15/137, 1 TD; St. Clair 12/105, 3 TD; Branch 6/36, 1 TD; Reeders 7/31, 1 TD; Flournoy 3/10, Simmons 1/5, Curle 3/4
CH- Shaw 7/21, 1 TD; Rogers 8/13, Carr 1/6, Lufsey 9/3, Robinson 1/1, Smith 1/-5, Spence 2/-5