Gametime Henrico: Oct. 9-15, 2023

The Mavericks’ football team improved to 6-2 on the season after a monstrous 56-0 victory over Tucker (2-5) last Friday. Once again, the Mavs took over the game on the run, led by Ryan Bland, who totaled 113 yards rushing. Butter Stephenson had a huge day, totaling 105 yards on the ground and finding the end zone on three separate occasions. Other notable performances include Wells Nunnally with 65 yards rushing and two2 touchdowns and Alex Saunders with 60 yards rushing and a touchdown. Freeman will face Godwin (5-2) in a rivalry game this Friday.

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After going unbeaten for nearly one month, the Freeman field hockey squad fell to 10-4 on the season after a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Godwin (11-3) in overtime and a 2-1 loss to Glen Allen (9-4) last week. All-Region and All-Metro selection Sarah Chilton led the way for the Mavs in scoring versus the Eagles, knocking in two goals to extend the game. To put into perspective just how dominant the Mavs have been defensively this season, the Eagles scored the same amount of goals in this game as the Mavs had allowed in their previous six games combined. Their next game will be against Tucker (5-7).

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The Freeman golf team finished third place at the Class 5 state championship last week. Independence won the state title, while Potomac Falls finished as the runner up. Junior Joseph Winston led the Mavericks, firing a 71 to finish as a medalist.

Glen Allen High School

The Jaguars’ football team improved to 5-2 on the season after a stunning 17-16 victory over Hermitage (5-2) last week. The Jags got off to a slow start and saw themselves trailing 7-0 by the end of the first quarter. Nael Danil was the first to score for Glen Allen, kicking a 25-yard field goal to make it 10-3. Things remained stagnant in the third, before the fireworks began in the fourth. With just fewer than 12 minutes left in the game, quarterback Nana Utsey took off for a 21-yard rushing touchdown to tie things up at 10 points. Following a quick response by Godwin, it was fourth down and goal, and the Jags were down 16-10. In a high-pressure situation, Utsey got it done, connecting with running back Dallas Chavis on a 10-yard passing touchdown to give Glen Allen the lead with just more than a minute remaining. It was all over when Godwin’s field goal attempt failed as time expired. The Jaguars’ next matchup will be against Deep Run (1-7) this Friday.

Godwin High School

The Eagles’ girls volleyball team improved to 10-6 on the season after defeating Hermitage (3-14) 3-0 last Tuesday. Chloe Snyder led the way for Godwin with six aces and eight kills. Olivia Brunke and Elise Emory each had four aces, Campbell Emory had two aces and two digs, Molly Chapman had three kills, Sydney Newcomb had two kills, and Olivia Savage had five blocks in their victory over the Panthers.

Henrico High School

The Warriors’ football team improved to 3-4 on the season after a high-scoring 47-34 victory over Mechanicsville (1-6) last Friday. Running back Darren Williams was the key piece in this game, rushing relentlessly for 130 yards on just 15 carries while scoring three touchdowns. Tyjon Gunter also scored a rushing touchdown from 11 yards out, which gave Henrico its first points of the game. In the air, quarterback Lavell Winston connected with Shamari Johnson for two touchdowns in the first half, one from 20 yards out and the other from 30 yards out. On special teams, Dayshawn Williams returned a kickoff 80 yards to the house in the third quarter. Williams also had a strong day defensively, highlighted by an interception. The Warriors will move on to face Hanover (4-3) in their next game this Friday.

Hermitage High School

The Panthers’ football team fell to 5-2 on the season after a heartbreaking 17-16 loss to Glen Allen (5-2) that had everyone holding their breath until the very last play. The Panthers jumped out to an early 7-0 lead after one quarter, then added a 25-yard Carlos Diaz field goal to make it 10-0 to establish control of the game. However, things heated up in the fourth quarter, and the game was suddenly tied up with just fewer than 12 minutes to go. The Panthers responded though, all thanks to JR Lewis taking off on a 30-yard rushing touchdown to give his team the lead again with six minutes left in the game. After a passing touchdown from Glen Allen, the Panthers had one minute left to make some magic happen. They managed to drive the ball down to the 15 yard-line to set up Diaz for a game-winning field goal attempt, but it would ultimately end in a miss and the second loss of the season for Hermitage. The Panthers’ next game will be versus Highland Springs (6-1) this Friday.

Highland Springs High School

The Springers’ football team has been playing dominant football again this season and unsurprisingly took care of business last week with an impressive 48-0 victory over Potomac to improve to 6-1 on the season. Cole Varner got things started for the Springers, scoring a 14-yard touchdown to give his team the game’s first points. Star quarterback Khristian Martin found the endzone next with a 15-yard rushing touchdown to extend the lead to 14-0. Heading into the second quarter, sophomore sensation Eric Byrd scored three straight touchdowns to make it 35-0. Before the end of the third quarter, Martin connected on his lone passing touchdown, to receiver Christian Forest, from 20 yards out, and running back Evan Ford powered his way into the endzone from five yards out to close out the scoring for Highland Springs. This was the Springers’ fourth straight victory, and they’ve allowed just 14 points in this four-game span. They will travel to Hermitage (5-2) for their next game this Friday.

Tucker High School

For the first time in program history, the Tigers field hockey team defeated the Deep Run Wildcats (0-11), 3-2, in a game that extended to double overtime. This was Tucker’s second consecutive win, and its third win in the last five games played, and the team now sits at 5-7 on the season. Winning out will be a tall order however, as the Tigers will face Freeman (10-3) Oct. 16 and Godwin (11-2) Oct. 18.

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The Tucker boys’ volleyball team improved to 6-9 on the season after its 3-2 victory over Clover Hill (6-8) last week. The Tigers lost the first match 25-16, closed out the second match by a score of 25-23, then lost the third match 25-21, but rallied to close out the game with a 25-22 win in the fourth and a 15-10 win in the fifth. Tucker was led by Zachary Bond, who had 10 kills and four aces. Emir Cosic had five blocks and four digs, Ethan Shaw had six blocks, Jaylen Hister had four kills, and Tyler Koshy had three kills in the win over the Cavaliers.

Varina High School

The Blue Devils’ football squad improved to 5-1 on the season after routing the Hanover Hawks (4-3) 38-9. Quarterback Linwood Johnson connected with DaMari Carter on a 10-yard passing touchdown to give his team an early 7-0 lead with six minutes left in the first. After a pick-six and a safety for the Hawks, Varina had to regroup and find its rhythm once again, as it trailed 9-7 with 10 minutes to go in the second quarter. And that proved to be no problem. Before halftime, the Blue Devils would kick a field goal to take a one-point lead. Right away in the third quarter, running back Naseer Smith found the end zone from 33 yards out, then three minutes later Johnson connected with Jordan Edwards on a 20-yard passing touchdown to make it 24-7. In the fourth, Johnson connected with Carter for another passing touchdown, this time from 75 yards out to extend the lead to 31-9 with three minutes left in the game. Tae Gilpin would finish out the scoring with a five-yard rushing touchdown. This was Varina’s fourth consecutive victory, and the Devils will look to extend their winning streak as they host Atlee (3-4) this Friday.