Sims Leads Comeback, As Tigers Win
Phillip Sims and Oscar Smith will live to play another game. Virginia High School football's latest legend and University of Alabama-commit Sims engineered a gritty last-minute drive to lead the Tigers to a stirring 28-21 victory over a game Grassfield Grizzlies squad.
Handed the ball on the fifty-yard line with 34 seconds to work with, Sims needed all of two plays to propel the Tigers into the end zone and keep Oscar Smith's hopes of repeating as state champions alive.
"It's (last-minute drives) something we work on in practice everyday. They say practice like you play and we did tonight." Said Sims after the game.
Indeed, with the game and the season on the line, Sims showed why he is considered one of the top college prospects in all of America. Despite a visible limp, the Tigers' quarterback found his favorite target Charlie Ricks for a 20-yard gain down to the Grassfield thirty-yard line. After a spike to stop the clock, Sims shook off his apparent leg injury and called Ricks' number again, hitting the senior on a crossing pattern screen. Ricks took care of the rest, jetting past several Grassfield defenders on his way to the end zone and the game-winning score.
It was unclear the extent of Sims' injury, but when asked if he would be ready for next week's Eastern Region Division 6 Finals, Sims merely replied, "I've got to."
Oscar Smith will meet Woodside in that game, but they were given all that they could handle by an upstart Grassfield squad who went toe-to-toe with the State's number one team all night. In fact, for 47 minutes of play it was the Grizzlies who appeared the superior team.
Clearly un-intimidated by Oscar Smith's 26-game winning streak, Grassfield announced their intention as a formidable opponent with an exemplary opening drive. In front of an electric crowd worthy of playoff football in Virginia, Nick Warack rumbled off a 65-yard run to start the game, which led to Tyler Clark finding James Faircloth in the end zone a mere 1:11 into the contest to stake Grassfield to a shocking 6-0 lead.
Yet Oscar Smith is not a defending state champion for nothing, and the Tigers responded with an efficient, well-executed drive that ended with Junior tailback Jaston George scoring on a 2-yard run.
From that point on, however, the first half belonged to Grassfield. After a Grizzlies field goal and a blocked Oscar Smith punt, Clark plunged into the end zone for a 3-yard score that gave Grassfield a shock 15-7 halftime lead.
Few in the capacity and raucous crowd believed that the Grassfield defense could continue to hold Oscar Smith at bay, but on the second half's opening series the Grizzlies got to Sims and forced a fumble that led to a Grassfield field goal and an 18-7 lead.
With their season fast slipping away, Oscar Smith surprised many by going to the run. A ground-fueled drive ended with George scoring his second touchdown on a 4-yard run, and after a Grassfield field goal the Tigers went to their running attack again.
Runs of 17 and 13 yards by J.C. Coleman, followed by a George 16 yard scamper and a face mask penalty put Oscar Smith first and goal from the 1 yard line, where George pounded home his third score of the game to knot things up at 21 apiece.
From there, the Tigers' defense held strong, forcing a late punt that set up the late game heroics of Sims and Ricks.
"It was a great team win," proclaimed Oscar Smith coach Rich Morgan. "I love my kids. We got great kids, Grassfield's got great kids, and it was a battle, but we overcame it. We've got a seasoned group, they've been through it before and they didn't quit."
With the win, Morgan's "seasoned group" moves one step closer to repeating as State champions, as they will host Woodside, who defeated Bayside 22-19 to earn a berth in the Regional Finals.
Scoring SummaryFirst Quarter
Grassfield - 10:49 Tyler Clark to James Faircloth 5-yard Pass (Kick Failed)
Oscar Smith - 5:28 Jaston George 2-yard Run (Kick Good)
Second Quarter
Grassfield - Ryan Woodcock 31-yard Field Goal
Grassfield - 0:19 Tyler Clark 3-yard Run (Two-Point Conversion Failed)
Third Quarter
Grassfield - 7:35 Ryan Woodcock 33-yard Field Goal
Oscar Smith - 3:07 Jaston George 4-yard Run (Kick Good)
Fourth Quarter
Grassfield - 11:12 Ryan Woodcock 21-yard Field Goal
Oscar Smith - 9:12 Jaston George 1-yard Run (Kick Good)
Oscar Smith - 0:15 Phillip Sims to Charlie Ricks 30-yard Pass (Kick Good)
