Disastrous series dooms NK bid to break into win column

NK’s Coy Robinson looks to avoid a Tabb’s Mason Askew as Terrance Ward closes in to block on a kickoff return.

Alan Chamberlain photo

Mistakes have governed New Kent’s fate through what has so far this season been a winless excursion in Bay Rivers District football. That pattern remained intact as the Trojans took on Tabb’s host Tigers last Friday night.

Errors on four successive plays — the final two of the third quarter and opening two of the fourth — changed the entire complexion of the game, converting a tight contest into a rout for the Tigers who emerged with a 40-13 win. New Kent dropped to 0-4 in the district and 0-5 overall.

Trailing 20-13 late in the third quarter, New Kent embarked on what appeared to be a 75-yard game-tying touchdown drive. The Trojans had first and goal after Kevin Karaffa out-jumped a Tiger defender to haul in a Kyle Mechling pass at the Tabb six yard line.

On the next play, running back Trey Lee swept the left side for an apparent TD, but a holding call wiped out the score and disaster followed. Second down led to a mishandled snap that Mechling fell on for a two-yard loss. On third down, Mechling tripped and toppled over a lineman’s foot as he dropped back to pass. Then on fourth down from the Tiger 20, Tabb linebacker Will Malone picked off Mechling’s pass.

Thereafter, the Trojans went into meltdown. The hosts converted the interception into a TD drive and tacked on two more scores in a 20-point final quarter.

“I thought the holding call was questionable at best. I thought it was a good block,” New Kent coach Dan Rounds said afterward.

“This feels like the same tape is being played every game,” he said. “I told our guys that until we decide to respond to adversity, it’s not going to get better.”

The Trojans, however, responded well early on after falling into a 13-0 hole. Lee’s 27-yard scamper to the Tiger 24 yard line set up a 23-yard scoring toss from Mechling to tight end Christian Hill-Sanders to help cut the deficit to 13-7 with 5:42 to go in the second quarter. Then after Brandon Martin picked off a Tabb pass, the Trojans drove 71 yards in nine plays to tie on Lee’s 10-yard bolt over the left side.

The deadlock stood into the third quarter when Tiger running back Greg Henson raced 29 yards to put his team on top to stay.

“We’ve got to decide where to fix it,” Rounds said. “It’s an easy fix; we’ve just got to decide that somewhere you’re going to fix it. There’s going to have to be a conscious decision on our part to respond and fight when things go bad.”

New Kent——– 0 13 0 0 —— 13
Tabb————– 7 6 7 20 —— 40
1st Quarter
Tabb (1:30)- Brown 4 yard run (England kick) 7-0
2nd Quarter
Tabb (8:14)- Shuey 3 yard run (kick fail) 13-0
NK (5:42)- Hill-Sanders 23 yard pass from Mechling (Johnson kick) 13-7
NK (1:20)- Lee 10 yard run (kick fail) 13-13
3rd Quarter
Tabb (9:41)- Henson 29 yard run (England kick) 20-13
4th Quarter
Tabb (9:24)- Brown 8 yard run (kick fail) 26-13
Tabb (3:25)- Hunter 13 yard pass from Shuey (England kick) 33-13
Tabb (2:45)- Smith 2 yard run (England kick) 40-13

Rushing (attempts/yards)
NK- Lee 19/74, Chalmers 7/49, Mechling 5/-8, Barnes 1/-1, Dunn 1/-7.
Tabb- Brown 25/188, Henson 20/143, Shuey 5/23, B. Hicks 4/14, Askew 1/8, S. Hicks 1/7, Smith 1/2.
Passing (completions/attempts/yards)
NK- Mechling 8/21/119, 1 TD, 4 Int.
Tabb- Shuey 3/10/66, 1 TD, 1 Int.
Receiving (receptions/yards)
NK- Braxton 1/34, Karaffa 1/24, Hill-Sanders 1/23, Robinson 1/19, Bentley 1/13, C. Lee 1/9, Dunn 1/4, Orie 1/3.
Tabb- S. Hicks 1-31, Askew 1/22, Hunter 1/13.
Interceptions
NK- Martin.
Tabb- Askew, McGinley, Smith, Ward.
QB sacks
NK- Bentley.
Tabb- McGinley, Miller.