Football, 10/16/09: Hermitage 34, Tucker 19

by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports Richmond
slewis@digitalsports.com
(804) 240-2191

Two things.

J.R. Tucker is legit. Hermitage is physical.

The Tigers hung tough for 30 minutes but the Panthers' depth, strength and passing and running of Brendan Riddick gave No. 3 Hermitage a 34-19 victory over the upstart Tigers.

It was a 14-12 game after terrific senior back Jacob Bennett (26 carries, 159 yards, two TDs) carried a bunch of Panthers into the end zone with 5:39 to go in the third period.

Tigers interim (soon to be permanent) coach Matt Crenshaw went for two to tie but Shamel White popped Bennett as he fumbled through the end zone.

From there Hermitage flexed it's considerable muscle.

It took 1:35 for a response, a 55-yard pass from Riddick to a wide-open Nick Yurchak.

Riddick had found Derek Britt on a similar third-down play on the last drive for a wonderful 60-yard catch and dart.

Tucker went three-and-out on the next possession, and Raynard Revels blocked Austin Paulding's punt, the second Hermitage punt block of the evening, and Brandon Rogers recovered it as he did the first.

It took Riddick two scampers to bust in, the latter a 24-yard jolt that put Hermitage up 27-12 after John Stiebel's extra point.

Tucker went down on downs the next possession, and Riddick found Curtis Grant for 13 yards on third down, and four plays later found Britt for a 12-yard TD as he leaped over two Tigers for the score.

In a matter of eight minutes, Riddick led Hermitage on three scoring drives that overwhelmed a Tucker team playing six or seven players both ways.

Riddick accounted for all five Hermitage scores, going 5 for 11 with 146 yards with three TDs, and ran 14 times for 82 more yards and two scores.

"In the pass game, I just focused up," Riddick, a junior, said. "We were trying to run the ball more in the first half, try to bring them in some. As soon as we brought them in, we hit them on a couple of pass plays deep."

The Panthers improved to 5-1, 3-0 in the Colonial District with the toughest part of the docket behind them. The Tigers are 4-2, 2-1 in the Colonial as Crenshaw took the brunt of the responsibility for the defeat.

"We did pretty well early on," Crenshaw said. "I made some poor decisions that really put us in a bind. We as coaches come back and eliminate those mistakes. I think we'll be fine from here on out."

J.R.  Tucker 6 0  6 7 - 19
Hermitage   7 0 20 7 - 34
H - Riddick 1 run (Stiebel kick)
JRT - Jared Bennett 1 run (kick blocked)
H - Britt 60 pass from Riddick (Stiebel kick)
JRT - Jacob Bennett 5 run (run failed)
H - Yurchak 55 pass from Riddick (kick failed)
H - Riddick 24 run (Stiebel kick)
H - Britt 12 pass from Riddick
JRT - Jacob Bennett 7 run (Lane kick)

RUSHING
J.R. Tucker - Jacob Bennett 26 carries, 159 yards, Jered Bennett 6-28, Long 2-4, Carr 7-(minus 3); Hermitage - Riddick 14-82, Gordon 12-49, Vaughan 7-29, Green 1-4, Wright 2-(minus 4)

PASSING
J.R. Tucker - Jered Bennett 5 completions, 15 attempts, 57 yards, 0 touchdowns, 2 interceptions; Hermitage - Riddick 5-11-146-3-0; Vaughan 0-1-0-0-0

RECEIVING
J.R. Tucker - Long 2-23, Jacob Bennett 1-15, Cherlin 1-14, Towner 1-5; Hermitage - Britt 3-79, Yurchak 1-55, Grant 1-13