Total collapse describes New Kent performance in loss to Jamestown

New Kent defender Ryan Curle tackles Jamestown receiver Daquan Palmer as teammate Hunter Pitts closes to assist.

Alan Chamberlain photo

Early and often during their football clash with Jamestown’s winless Eagles, New Kent’s host Trojans fell on the self-destruct button. Lost fumbles, shoddy tackling, and costly penalties led to 15 unanswered Eagle points in the first half.

Friday night’s homecoming crowd expected the Trojans would access the reset button during the halftime break. That didn’t happen.

The Eagles scored on the first play from scrimmage after intermission and took advantage of six New Kent turnovers in all on the way to posting a 29-8 victory and spoiling the festive atmosphere.

“We just didn’t come to play,” Trojan coach Clark Harrell admitted afterward, adding that he was at a loss to explain his team’s collapse following an impressive near upset of unbeaten Grafton just four nights earlier.

“I wish I could put my finger on it,” he said. “We weren’t our normal self. I didn’t think we were tired or beat up.”

But taking on a team searching for its first win could have factored into the outcome, he added. Jamestown entered the clash at 0-5.

“When you play a team that’s down like they are and something happens early that’s good for them, they’ll get momentum and they’ll play,” he said.

That “something” was a high snap over the head of Trojan quarterback Richard Flournoy on the game’s initial play from scrimmage. Jamestown recovered on the Trojan three-yard line.

New Kent’s defense stiffened, holding the visitors to a field goal, but a repeat occurred on New Kent’s next play. This time, however, Flournoy was able to gather in the fumble.

Jamestown then stopped the Trojans on downs, but the hosts appeared to have the break needed to take control of the game when Hunter Pitts picked off a Hunter Brittain pass. But on second down, a fumbled exchange near midfield handed the Eagles another gift. The visitors capitalized, extending the lead to 9-0 on a 29-yard, Brittain-to-Daquan Palmer TD pass.

Just before halftime, another lost fumble cost New Kent a chance to convert on fourth down from the Eagle 23. The visitors then drove 75 yards, taking advantage of New Kent personal foul and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, to open a 15-0 advantage at the break.

Harrell, though, said the scene in the Trojan locker room at halftime fell far short of panic or despair.

“We told them at halftime that we were still in the game and we were okay,” the coach said. “But they got that quick [TD] and then we got the ball back and turned it over again. That kind of put it out of reach.”

On the third quarter’s first play, Eagle running back Kemonte Frye (28 carries, 211 yards) raced 63 yards to the end zone. Late in the third quarter, another errant snap led to a Jamestown recovery on the Trojan 22-yard line and Frye’s second TD.

“I didn’t think we played well in any phase of the game. We gave them a lot of opportunities,” said Harrell, noting his team’s penchant for turnovers. “It seemed like we couldn’t do anything.”

The Trojans gave up 356 yards, including 122 through the air. The hosts, meanwhile, managed just 75 yards on the ground and 62 passing, but averted a shutout on C.J. Reeders’ two-yard run with 6:32 left to play.

New Kent (3-3) has four remaining regular season games, all against opponents Harrell labeled as “tough” and starting next Friday at powerful Smithfield.

“We’ve got to take care of ourselves,” he said. “If we don’t play better than this– well, you know.”