Charles City can’t hold onto lead as John Marshall rallies with second half comeback win

Charles City’s Rickie Wooten (54), Davion Johnson (6), and Randy Brown Jr. (55) all combine to halt John Marshall quarterback Daquan Williams (7) in the backfield for a loss.

Robb Johnson photo

Charles City High School’s football team took the field in a rare Monday night game after the original contest was postponed due to the death of a classmate. And while emotions ran high as they faced off against John Marshall for the first time, emotions couldn’t help the Panthers down the stretch of the contest.

The visiting Justices kept Charles City scoreless in the second half and rallied for a 20-14 win Monday night, marking the first win for the visitors since 2019. Charles City also hasn’t won since 2019.

Early in the contest, Charles City’s defense rattled the visitors. A botched punt by the Justices positioned the Panthers at the 20-yard line. Three plays later, Taylor Bey’s one-yard tote provided the hosts a 6-0 advantage.

The scoreboard remained unchanged deep into the second quarter as Charles City threatened to score again. But a Mitchell Whitehead pass was intercepted by John Marshall’s Marshaun Vega, who scampered 85 yards down the visitors’ sideline to tie the game at six apiece with 2:59 remaining in the half.

John Marshall rode that momentum as a three-and-out returned the ball to them deep in Charles City territory. But as time was about to expire, John Marshall quarterback Daquan Williams looked to hit a teammate on an out route for a score. Instead, Whitehead made amends for his earlier interception by notching one of his own, this time taking it 95 yards the opposite way for a Panthers score. A run by Bey on the conversion bestowed a 14-6 lead for Charles City heading into the halftime intermission.

In the third quarter, Charles City’s offense failed to yield any points on the opening drive. However, the Justices didn’t have that problem as they took to the air. Williams found teammate Jamontae Peck on a 51-yard strike down the seems to provide the guests with their second score of the night. A failed two-point conversion by the Justices kept the Panthers on top 14-12 as they headed to the fourth quarter.

John Marshall began blitzing against Charles City, shutting down the run game. On fourth and six, Bey attempted to scramble along John Marshall’s sideline. But the Justices’ defense stood firm, stopping him a yard short and returning possession to the visitors.

John Marshall marched down the field, with the combination of Williams and Peck connecting again. This time, Williams found his receiver over the outstretched arms of Panther defender Sherod Barnes. Peck brushed off one tackle and scurried into the end zone for 43 yards to hand the Justices their first lead of the night. A successful two-point conversion bumped the lead up to six (20-14) for the guests.

Charles City attempted to move the ball down the field. After a successful completion from Bey to Whitehead on third down, the Panthers faced fourth and five. On the next play, Bey dropped back but was sacked by the Justices, turning the ball over on downs. From there, John Marshall ran the remaining time off the clock to seal the win.

After the contest, Charles City Head Coach Sherod Jones talked about the lack of execution on offense for his team.

“We were trying to let the guys know that they were lines up with six or seven guys at the line of scrimmage,” the coach said, saying that the defense posed by the Justices opened up opportunities to attack through the air. “Everyone had to step down and the last man needed to kick out the blocker so that we could pass.

“It is very frustrating, and this should have been a win,” Jones continued. “Yes, they are celebrating on our field and yes, we only played with 13, but like we told them before, you can’t get tired because we don’t have anyone else to put in. You have to play and right now, it’s about mental toughness.”

Charles City falls to 0-5 on the season.