Phantoms Steal Regional Title
Phoebus celebrates its 20-19 victory over Lake Taylor for the Phantoms’ third consecutive Division Five Eastern Region title on Friday. Photo by Jason Norman
Throughout the regular season, Phoebus' unbeaten streak has come close to ending a few times. The Phantoms squeaked past Woodside on a last-second field goal, then needed an extra period to take care of Bethel.
But Phoebus has never claimed to be unbeatable. Being unbeaten is good enough - and just as they have the last 27 times they've stepped onto a football field, the Phantoms found a way to win on Friday night, slipping by visiting Lake Taylor 20-19 to take home Phoebus' third consecutive Division Five Eastern Region title (marking the second straight year Phoebus has beaten Taylor for the title).
"I don't know how many more of these close ones I can take!" said Phoebus coach Stan Sexton. "We didn't run through everybody this year, but the kids have found a way to win. That shows a lot of character and gumption on their part, and I couldn't be prouder of them."
After a defensive war in the first half - the teams combined for just 72 yards in the first two quarters - Chaz Robinson took over the Phoebus offense to start the third, carrying on five of his team's first seven plays for 53 yards as Phoebus reached the Taylor six. Moments later, Colby Goodwin scored from a yard out, and the Phantoms were up 7-0 less than five minutes into the second half.
"Chaz really kick-started this offense," Sexton said, "and when we started moving, the offensive line started gaining a lot more confidence. Chaz has been bugging me all season long to run the ball, and I told him, 'If you ever get a chance, you better come up big for me,' and he did so in a big way."
But before Phoebus could celebrate, Stanley Walls made his first completion of the night a doozy, firing a 58-yader to Mario Rowson to reach the Phantom 17. Walls carried to the six over the next four plays, and Derrion Walton rumbled up the middle for the touchdown. Adrian Bravo-Morales' extra point went off to the right, leaving Phoebus still ahead 7-6.
The game now a shootout, Paul Morant charged 36 yards to the Taylor 26. A holding penalty knocked Phoebus back to the 42, but Morant hit Raymond Deloatch at the 22, putting Eric Enderson in range for a field goal that upped Phoebus' lead to 10-6 with just over nine minutes to play.
On second down at the Taylor 25, Walls was sacked at the 16, aggravating an old ankle injury and sending him to the sidelines. Rushing into action, Kevin Swofford handed off to Walton, who exploded for 41 yards into Phoebus territory. A few plays later, Walls returned to the game and launched a 35-yard strike to Rowson at the six. Walton charged around the left side, crashed into a wall of players, and moved them forward into the endzone, giving Taylor a 13-10 lead with 5:20 left in the game - and, in the case of the losing team, the season.
Phoebus went to the ground - Morant's pass to Deloatch was his only completion of the night - as Goodwyn, Morant and Robinson got to the Titan 44 as the clock ticked to three minutes. Then Gooldwyn bolted around the left side and charged all the way to the 17 before being knocked out of bounds.
A nine-yard run by Robinson gave Phoebus a first down at the Titan four, but the Phantoms could only make it to the one over the next three plays. With 10 seconds left in regulation, Phoebus lined up for a fourth-and-goal.
Then Morant and several others players jumped, leading to an offsides penalty. The Phantoms took the safe way out, having Enderson blast a field goal to send the game to an extra period.
In local high school action, each team starts from the 10-yard line, and has four chances to score. Last week, Lake Taylor had come out on the right side of such a victory, beating Hampton 10-7.
This time, the Titans started off the same way, as Walton carried to the three, and Walls finished things out with a score. But Bravo-Morales' kick went off to the right, leaving Phoebus down just 19-13.
They took advantage; Goodwyn charged to the six, and Robinson to the one. Morant then dived to pay dirt to tie the score.
"No way we weren't scoring there," Morant said. "I had confidence in the line, that that was going to be a touchdown no matter what."
In for one last extra point, Enderson's kick went off to the right. But Taylor was called offsides, and his second one was perfect to clinch the victory.
"I knew it was good the second I kicked it," he said. "I don't want to sound cocky, but I don't have any doubt in myself. It's nothing that I haven't done before."
The Phantoms will take their next step toward a third consecutive state championship next Saturday at Darling, battling the winner of Saturday's Hanover-Petersburg Central Region title game. The final will be held the next weekend at the University of Virginia.
