New Kent survives last second kick by Smithfield, escapes with 28-27 victory in home opener

New Kent’s Blake Gregory (left) and Ryan Holley (right) have their hands full as they attempt to pull down Smithfield running back James Jones (7).

Andre' Jones photo

Finally being able to host a home game inside the Ed Allen Jr. Complex, New Kent High School’s football team welcomed the Smithfield Packers in a Bay Rivers District contest that would test the durability of the new playing surface. Needless to say, the test was a success that was decided in the waning minutes in favor of the Trojans.

Surviving a missed field goal and behind four total touchdowns from Nathaniel Christian, New Kent edged Smithfield 28-27 to return the Trojans to the win column. But that victory did not come easy.

The Trojans had to deal with two major issues during Friday night’s contest. The first was how to slow down Packer running back James Jones. The second was overcoming the penalty bug. And early on, the hosts failed in both aspects.

On the opening drive, Smithfield came out with an air attack, as quarterback Kyle Buggs connected with Kayden Pretlow and Landon Ruffin on receptions. After a New Kent penalty, Buggs completed an 18-yard pass to Zavion Knight. From there, a seven-yard carry into the end zone by Jones put the visitors on the board first. Isaiah Robertson-Johnson’s placement increased the visitors’ lead to 7-0 just three-and-a-half minutes into the game.

New Kent responded to the score on the opening drive behind the leadership of Christian. After a pair of totes on the ground, Christian took to the air and connected with Owen Payne on a 46-yard connection. A few plays later, the duo hooked up again, this time for an 11-yard touchdown score. A run by Chase Wiles for a conversion score bestowed the hosts an 8-7 advantage that carried into the second quarter.

But Smithfield’s Jones legs began to gather full steam and they planted into the new turf. After a New Kent penalty extended a drive for the Packers, Jones carried the ball down New Kent’s sideline for an 18-yard touchdown, with the extra point kick returning the lead to the guests (14-8) at the 8:36 mark.

But yet, New Kent did not faulter as Christian began chugging on the ground himself. Jones toted the ball for 41 yards on the Trojans’ next offensive possession. And when the Packers’ defense loaded the box, Christian launched a pass in the air, connecting with Wiles on a 25-yard touchdown strike. Adam Ayala’s kick returned the lead to New Kent 15-14 at the 4:32 mark, an advantage they would carry into the halftime intermission.

The Trojans’ would go three-and-out in their first possession of the third quarter. After punting to Smithfield, Jones’ biggest run of the night gashed New Kent’s second line of defense as the shifty running back carried the ball for 46 yards. Three plays later Jones would score his third touchdown of the game, bestowing the lead to Smithfield (21-15) at the 7:33 mark.

New Kent once again responded on their next drive. Using the trio of Christian, Wiles, and Sherman Wynn, the Trojans marched down the field on an 89-yard drive behind the trio, with the ultimate payoff being Christian’s one-yard plunge into the end zone. Another kick by Ayala put New Kent ahead 22-21 at the 2:18 mark, with that score carrying over into the fourth.

As the final frame kicked off, the fireworks for Smithfield’s Jones on the ground continued. A 22-yard run highlighted on what would be a 198-yard rushing yard performance. With the Trojan secondary looking into the backfield to make sure they knew where Jones was going, Buggs ran a play action with the running back, fooling defenders. Buggs’ pass connected with Pretlow from four yards out, once again putting Smithfield back on top 27-22 after a failed two-point attempt with 7:36 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Packer defense looked more solid on its next possession as more defenders stacked the box, slowing down New Kent’s rushing attack. Facing fourth and sixth, New Kent elected to go for the first down. A direct snap to Christian saw him follow blocks on the right side of the line. Instead of going forward, he handed the ball to Wynn on an inside reverse, allowing his teammate to run for 12 yards and gain the critical first down. Moments later, it would be Wiles with his biggest play of the night, as he took a handoff at the 25-yard line, broke through three tackles and gashed Smithfield’s defense for a 20-yard gain before being brought down. Three plays later, Christian dashed straight up the middle for three yards, once again providing New Kent a 28-27 lead with less than a minute on the clock.

On the ensuing kickoff, Smithfield’s Kamri Mavin returned the ball 26 yards into New Kent territory. Starting at the 49-yard line, Buggs connected with passes to Pretlow for 14 yards and to Ruffin for 12 yards. After two incompletions, Buggs hit Zavion Knight on a six-yard out pattern, placing the ball on the 25-yard line with 14 ticks remaining and the down marker indicating it was fourth down.

Robertson-Johnson came onto the field to attempt a 35-yard field goal, with New Kent burning its final timeout before the attempt. At the snap, Robertson-Johnson was able to make a good connection with the kick, but the ball hit the front of the middle crossbar of the goal post. The ball ricocheted downward and to the ground, with officials signifying the attempt was no good. New Kent regained possession and took a knee to run out the remaining time of the game.

After the game, New Kent Head Coach Scott Girolmo spoke about the win.

“This team showed a lot of grit tonight,” he commented. “We overcame a lot of penalties [11 penalties for 100 yards], and I am proud of the leadership that I got not only from the seniors, but the juniors as well.

“We were able to finish and give credit to Smithfield, that put us in a tough position,” the head coach continued. “I am proud of our resilience our job is to go 1-0 every week. The things we did during the offseason and how we are dealing with character development when we are away from the field is showing up on the field, and it showed up in the fourth quarter tonight.”

Christian accounted for 159 rushing yards, 89 passing yards, and four total touchdowns. Wynn added 50 on the ground, with Wiles rushing for 34 yards and catching for 25 more. Payne was the leading receiver for New Kent with 57 yards.

New Kent improves to 3-2 on the season.