Phoebus Survives Hanover, Advances to Title Game
By Nick Plasmati
The Phoebus Phantoms overcame horrendous weather conditions and a spirited Hannover Hawks squad to escape their Division 5 State semi-final matchup with a come-from-behind 10-7 victory on Saturday afternoon.
Playing on a muddied Darling Stadium turf in Hampton, VA amidst driving winds and a steady downpour, Phoebus managed to extend their two-year unbeaten streak to 29 games on the strength of a staunch defensive performance and the persistent legs of senior tailback Colby Goodwin.
Goodwin finished with 121 yards on the ground, 108 in the second half, and barreled home the go-ahead touchdown four minutes into the fourth quarter to propelled the Phantoms into their second straight State Championship Game.
In a game that could best be described as a tale of two halves, Goodwin's success on the ground after halftime would prove to be a microcosm of Phoebus' performance before and after halftime.
The heavily favored Phantoms were clearly outplayed in the first half, as Hannover embraced their role of underdog to the tune of a 7-0 halftime lead. With the passing game for both teams rendered ineffective by the weather, both teams struggled to gain ground during an attritional first quarter that announced just how difficult scoring would prove to be in the game.
In the second quarter, the Hawks took advantage of a defensive stand that pinned Phoebus up against their own end zone, and after a wobbling punt gave Hanover the best field position of the day, the Hawks rode the gritty running of tailback Deane Cheatham (74 yards on 21 carries) and quarterback Sam Rogers (34 yards on 14 carries) into the red zone before Cheatham slammed home a 1 yard score.
With the Hawks' offense taking surprising control of the half, on the other side of the ball Hanover's defense matched their teammates with an absolutely dominating performance. Phoebus managed only 20 yards of total offense in the first two quarters, as the Hawks front line stymied the Phantom's vaunted offense by winning nearly every down between the trenches. Frustrated and reeling, Phoebus went into the locker room in need of a bevy of adjustments to keep their season alive.
Those adjustments came in the form of senior runner Goodwin, who finally managed to break through the brick wall of Hanover defenders early in the second half.
With the help of Goodwin's regained form and a costly Hanover pass interference penalty on 3rd and 8, Phoebus marched down the field on the opening drive of the second half and parlayed their reignited offense into a 30 yard Eric Enderson field goal.
Sensing that their opponents' stiff defense was tiring, the Phantoms continued to pound the ball between the tackles and found themselves knocking on the end zone door at Hanover's five yard line to start the fourth quarter.
It was here that Phoebus almost squandered their comeback attempt, as a botched snap resulted in a fumble and recovery for the Hanover Hawks. The turnover could have proved disastrous for the defending State Champions, but two plays later their defense bailed them out by stripping the ball from Cheatham and recovering possession on the 15 yard line. Six plays later, Goodwin capped the Phoebus comeback with the well-earned touchdown score that would give the Phantoms the lead for good.
Hanover gave a valiant effort in attempting a comeback of their own, but the tough yards that they had earned in the first half just were not there, and after several stalled drives and a missed Phoebus field goal with 2:53 remaining in the game, quarterback Rogers had his passed picked off by his quarterback counterpart and safety Paul Morant, effectively sealing the win for Phoebus and ending the season for Hanover.
Phoebus moves on to play in next Saturday's State Championship game in Charlottesville, VA at UVA's Scott Stadium. The Phantom's will try to repeat against either Massaponax or Stone Bridge, whose semi-final game was postponed until Sunday due to inclement weather.
Stats for the Game:
Phoebus finished with 185 Total Yards (148 Rushing), while Hanover managed 136 Total Yards (108 Rushing). For the Phantoms, Colby Goodwin gained 121 yards on 32 carries with 1 TD while quarterback Paul Morant completed 3 of 5 passes for 37 yards with 1 INT. As for Hanover, Deane Cheatham notched 74 yards on 21 carries with 1 TD
While quarterback Sam Rogers ran for 34 yards on 14 carries and passed for 28 yards on 4 of 9 passing with 2 INT.
Scoring
First Quarter
No Scoring
Second Quarter
Hanover - Deane Cheatham 1 Yard Run (3:20)
Third Quarter
Phoebus - Eric Enderson 21 Yard Field Goal (6:24)
Fourth Quarter
Phoebus - Colby Goodwin 2 Yard Run (8:36)
