JAMES CITY --- Down 15-0 in the second quarter, it appeared that the Smithfield Packers had lost the opportunity to state their case to be counted among the top teams in the Bay Rivers District. Their opponent, Warhill, had run for 167 yards and two touchdowns on their first two possessions and looked invincible in front of the home crowd at Wanner Stadium. Lion quarterback Carson Strickland had both touchdowns and 108 of the yards on the ground.
Smithfield coach Tracey Parker did a credible job explaining what happened next.
“We fought back, we fought back, and we fought back,” said Parker, just after his Packer team returned its final kickoff to midfield and cruised the remaining 51 yards in 61 seconds to upend Warhill 32-29 in James City.
Warhill (2-2) appeared top put the game away with 2:12 remaining as Devon Price used his speed to sweep around the right side and outrun the entire Packer defense for a 53-yard touchdown, giving the Lions a 29-24 lead.
But Smithfield was not finished. After returning he kickoff to midfield, James Jones caught a nine-yard pass from Kyle Buggs. On the following play, Buggs (11-17, 196 yards, two TDs), found junior Kayden Pretlow over the middle for a crucial 28-yard gain. Two plays later, Buggs connected with Allex Rawlings for the game-winning score.
Rawlings had played sparingly up to that point.
“I tell our guys, don’t count your reps, make your reps count,” said Parker, whose team is now 2-1. The Packers passed for just 21 yards in the first half but collected 234 in a wild-and-wooly second half. “We saw some things that they were doing at halftime, and executed some plays,” added Parker.
Warhill gained 318 yards on the ground, with Strickland (136) and Braden Terns (100) hitting the century mark.
As Lafayette and Poquoson entered the evening with undefeated marks, the battle to be the top Bay Rivers District contender included both teams. Smithfield made the trip across the James River with hopes of topping Warhill and lodging themselves into the #3 slot, or at a piece of it.
The Lions’ ground mission started on their first possession as Warhill ran on 14 straight plays. Braden Terns and Strickland shared the load, combining for 13 carries for 71 yards. An 18-yard scamper by scatback Noah Arokium broke the 1-2 rhythm, and the drive was capped with a two-yard push by Strickland to put the hosts in front 6-0. Keeping to their aggressive running style, the Lions elected to go for two, with Terns earning the deuce to give Warhill an 8-0 edge.
Smithfield countered with its running back Zyron Wells on the first possession. Wells carried the ball on the Packers’ first four plays for 34 yards, but the drive was scrubbed by a fumble, which was recovered by Lion linebacker Reece Ferrell.
A 58-yard ramble down the left sideline by Strickland set the quarterback up to call his own number on the next play and push to the left from the Smithfield 2 for Warhill’s second score.
Smithfield went to Wells for three more carries for eight yards, but it was James Jones, on his first carry, who provided the visitors with a spark, galloping through the middle for a 35-yard score.
Smithfield (2-1) 0, 7, 7, 18 -- 32
Warhill (2-2) 8, 7, 0, 14 -- 29
W – Carson Strickland 2 run (Braden Terns run)
W – Strickland 2 run (Weyrauch kick)
S – James Jones 35 run (Isaiah Robertson-Johnson kick)
S – Zyron Wells 55 pass from Kyle Buggs (Robertson-Johnson kick)
S – Robertson-Johnson 34 FG
S – Wells 1 run (Robertson-Johnson kick)
W – Price 8 run (kick failed)
W – Price 53 run (Terns run)
S – Allex Rawlings 17 pass from Buggs (Wells run)
S W
1st Downs 12, 16
Rush – Yds 29-104, 41-318
Pass Yds. 25, 80
C- A–I 13-20-1, 7-13-0
Punts – Avg. 1-22, 2-33
Pen. Yds. 12-85, 11-86
Fumb – Lost 1-1, 0-0
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