Stay here for live updates from the state Group AAA Division 6 final from U.Va.’s Scott Stadium.
Thomas Dale leads Lake Braddock 14-7.
Mike Edmunds and Demetrick Jackson have the Knights TDs.
Bruins QB Michael Nebrich dove in for a one-yard score after Braddock’s Ross Renzi picked off Demitrius Campbell.
Braddock marched 92 yards for the TD after having only four yards of offense at that point.
Dale runs out the clock as the teams head to the locker room. Dale up 14-7.
Braddock will receive the kick. Check back in 15 minutes when the teams come back for the final 24 minutes, or maybe more since both of these teams won in overtime to get to this point.
THIRD QUARTER
Anthony Prevost kicks off for Dale. Peres Nubong takes it to the 27-yard line.
Nebrich hits Ali Banihashemi, then is sacked for a two-yard loss by Edmunds. On 3-and-12, Nebrich gets six to the 43. Punting time. Airek Green returns it to the 27-yard line for Dale.
Back to the ground for Dale. Jackson racks up 19 yards on first down as Dale’s mammoth line destroys the left side.
Jackson is slippery! He breaks four tackles on his way to Braddock’s 40-yard line. Now toss right to Jackson, nine more yards.
The speedster Lorenzo Fields enters the action and nabs the first down with a 3-yard run.
Rarely used Ralpheal Wheat burns the defense for 18 yards. First and goal Dale at the 10. Wheat gets stacked up the next run, two yards and that’s it.
Jackson rumbles for seven to the 1-yard line, fumbles, no, official calls him down. Huge turn of events in favor of Dale. Replay shows he fumbled for sure.
Edmunds gets nothing, fourth and goal. Looks like Dale will go for it.
Unbalanced line to the right, Edmunds goes right and waltzes in. Touchdown Dale, Edmunds second on the night.
He’s having a huge day, offensively and defensively. Prevost’s extra point makes it 21-7 Dale with 5:05 left in the third.
Braddock ball at the 22.
Nebrich is blown up by Jacob Steines on an attempt. Incomplete. Braddock runs a no huddle, as another Braddock player gets hit hard. It’s Edmunds again.
Third down, Nebrich is picked by Edmunds, he runs it back 31 yards to paydirt for the score. WOW, what a change of events.
The kick is good by Prevost, Dale leads 28-7 with 4:38 to go in the third.
Braddock ball at the 30.
Nebrich scrambles for eight. Nebrich, pump fake, no one there. Third and 2.
Osman Mansaray gets the first down on a 3-yard run. Brandon Johnson gets three yards from Nebrich.
Second down. It’s hard to keep up with this offense! Banihashemi gets a few from Nebrich.
Nebrich pressured, gets loose for a first down at Dale’s 45-yard line.
Nebrich’s pass is dropped, second down. Nebrich scrambles for a first. His legs are becoming a problem.
From the 30, Nebrich to Mansaray, he gets four. Ohhhh, Airek Green misses Nebrich on Dale’s patented blitz. Nebrich gets a third-and-1.
Converted, Johnson from Nebrich. LB in business at the 18. They need six. They get six. Johnson on a corner route, wide open and a diving catch for a score.
Nick Weiler drills the extra point, and with 28.9 seconds left in the third, Dale leads 28-14. The Knights run out the clock and there are 12 minutes left to decide the state championship.
FOURTH QUARTER
My man Phil Murphy from DS Northern Region is right beside me. This open-air press box is cool, but not in this temperature! We’re a little cold.
Back to the action. Wait, just added a bunch of Braddock photos from Phil. Dale came out too late to get pics of them.
Just got some stats. Jackson has 21 carries for 148 yards through three quarters.
WOW, what a run from Jackson. He was licked three yards in the backfield and broke out of it for a first down at Braddock’s 48.
Dale’s Ben Saunders and Braddock’s Chris Lavery lead their teams with eight tackles apiece.
Hey email me if you have any questions about the game that are not answered here, doing the best I can (slewis@digitalsports.com).
Jackson to the 41, third and 3 coming up. Jackson stuffed! Dale to punt from its 40, 8:30 and counting.
FAKE PUNT! Ryan Nolan receives the snap and goes 13 yards for the new set of downs. Timeout Dale.
Wheat two straight runs, for four yards. Third down Dale. Rollout pass or keep it on the ground?
Why not keep it on the ground when these guys are running like this. Wheat a 13-yard burst. First and goal from the 5.
Enough of that says Andrew Weidenger, who stuffs Wheat for a 3-yard loss.
Patient run for Jackson, he gets back to the original line, third down.
There’s the rollout pass I called for earlier. OH NO! Mike Dudley drops a wide open TD. That could’ve sealed it.
Timeout Dale with 4:45 left. Beautiful play. They’ll go for it, and score. Airek Green in the flat, 5-yard TD from Campbell.
Stranger things have happened, but that should do it. Prevost adds the point after, 35-14 Dale with 4:42 left.
Braddock hasn’t seen the ball in the fourth quarter until now. A 7-minute, 42-second winner of a drive for Dale. Clutch.
Braddock ball, finally, at the 20, 4:33 left.
Banihashemi with another catch. This time for 12 yards. He finds hima again deep on a fly pattern.
Bruins are down to the 28-yard line. Still fighting. Mansaray tackled by Green, short gain.
Johnson almost with another spectacular catch, but it falls incomplete in the end zone.
Going to the paint AGAIN…Banihashemi, a 28-yard TD in the back of the end zone. Beautiful placement by Micahel Nebrich, the junior. Extra point is good, Dale 35-21.
Phil tells me Nebrich is a Division I recruit. Maryland, BC, Duke are interested.
Dale gets the onside attempt, and you know they’ll unleash its running game to take home the hardware. Let’s see.
A surprise, Dale passes to try to end it. Brandon Burton, who hauled in a two-point conversion to make it 14-0, can’t make the grab. Dale to punt.
Fair catch at the 21 for Braddock.
Nebrich is hit and almost picked. Second down. a Dale player is down, 2:25 left. It’s Airek Green. He’s up, looks like his knee again.
He’s OK. Nebrich deep, to long. Fourth down. 1:53 left.
Banihashemi once again, first down. It’s third down after two incompletions.
Nebrich scrambles, another first down, but a yellow hanky is down. Fourth and 13 is converted by Banihashemi-Nebrich connection. Bruins won’t die.
Brian Walker intercepts Nebrich’s deep pass. It’s all over now, 57.7 seconds to go, Dale up 35-21, and will bring a state championship home to the Central Region.
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