Mistakes continue to thwart New Kent football win bid

New Kent running back Mikel Chalmers drags along a Poquoson defender as he lunges for more yardage. Click on Photo Gallery for more photos.

Alan Chamberlain photo

A scenario where New Kent’s Trojans are matching their opposition through one half but then disaster strikes after the break has played out on more than one occasion this football season. The Trojans’ Oct. 19 homecoming encounter with Poquoson’s Islanders can also be added to the mix.

Trailing 27-20 early in the third quarter and driving for an apparent tying touchdown, the Trojans reached the Islander nine-yard line where they faced fourth down and six yards to go. Three straight penalties later, however, fourth and six became fourth and 21.

Needless to say, disaster again got the best of the winless Trojans. The drive ended there. The Islanders then marched the other way to extend their lead and continued to pummel their hosts the rest of the way for a 48-20 Bay Rivers District win. New Kent fell to 0-8.

Afterward, Trojan coach Dan Rounds admitted his team self-destructed. First, a delay of game call backed the Trojans five yards. Then consecutive false starts took away 10 more. A fourth down pass fell incomplete, turning the ball over to Poquoson.

“[The series of penalties] was the key change in the game,” Rounds said. “I thought we played a great first half, but we got a little rattled, made some mistakes, and those mistakes just compounded. Our guys want to do well, but we struggle with adversity.”

Rounds pointed to his team’s youth, noting that a pair of two-way starting tackles are just freshman. He added that only seven healthy linemen suited up for the homecoming contest.

“We’ve had a lot of kids injured,” he said. “We played pretty well with the kids we had, but we had a little adversity and we got down.”

On the opening kickoff, New Kent’s special teams helped set up the game’s first TD by burying Islander return man Johnny Pryce at the Poquoson three-yard line. The defense then forced a punt that rolled out of bounds at the Islander 28. Two plays later, Trojan running back Trey Lee (21 carries, 143 yards) swept the right side from 16 yards out to put New Kent up 6-0.

Poquoson scored on its next two series, but New Kent closed the gap to 13-12 as Luke Mechling connected with Kevin Karaffa on an eight-yard TD strike, capping a seven-play, 80-yard drive.

After the Islanders added a second score, the Trojans staged another long (73 yards), but brief (five plays) drive climaxed by Lee’s 35-yard dash into the end zone. Lee then ran for the conversion to tie at 20-20, but Poquoson scored with 20 seconds left in the half to lead 27-20 at the break.

Although it didn’t show on the scoreboard, New Kent won the statistical battle, piling up 334 yards from scrimmage compared to Poquoson’s 325.

Poquoson—— 13 14 7 14 —— 48
New Kent——– 6 14 0 0 —— 20
1st Quarter
New Kent (8:13)- Lee 16 yard run (kick fail) 6-0
Poquoson (5:31)- Boyce 1 yard run (kick fail) 6-6
Poquoson (2:49)- Turner 7 yard run (Roy kick) 13-6
2nd Quarter
New Kent (11:56)- Karaffa 8 yard pass from Mechling (pass fail) 13-12
Poquoson (7:40)- Boyce 3 yard run (Roy kick) 20-12
New Kent (1:27)- Lee 35 yard run (Lee run) 20-20
Poquoson (:20)- Boyce 7 yard run (Roy kick) 27-20
3rd Quarter
Poquoson (1:54)- Boyce 29 yard run (Roy kick) 34-20
4th Quarter
Poquoson (9:55)- Turner 9 yard run (Roy kick) 41-20
Poquoson (7:09)- Turner 50 yard punt return (Roy kick) 48-20

Rushing (attempts/yards)
Poquoson- Boyce 14/104, Turner 12/110, Thornberg 4/12, Schwartz 2/3, Walker 1/8, Hicks 1/4, Ramirez 1/3.
NK- Lee 21/143, Chalmers 11/61, Barnes 4/18, Dunn 1/6, Mechling 1/-1.
Passing (completions/attempts/yards)
Poquoson- Hicks 3/5/81.
NK- Mechling 8/15/107, 1 TD.
Receiving (receptions/yards)
Poquoson- Bryce 1/34, Walker 1/26, Pryce 1/21.
NK- Chalmers 3/25, Dunn 2/53, Karaffa 2/29, Orie 1/0.
QB sacks
Poquoson- Peck, Howell, Reeves.