New Kent Charles City Chronicle

News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | March 28, 2024

Fast start catapults Poquoson to football win over New Kent

By Robb Johnson | September 26, 2021 1:35 am

New Kent’s Brayson Pridemore (56) stuffs the gap to prevent Poquoson’s Brayden Hayes (6) from moving the chains on a third and short play.

Robb Johnson photo

After a humbling experience knocked New Kent’s Trojans from the ranks of the unbeaten, a home contest Saturday night against the visiting Poquoson Islanders provided an opportunity for the hosts to bounce back with a win. Unfortunately for the Trojans, a commanding start by the visitors proved too much for the hosts to overcome.

Poquoson jumped out to a three-touchdown lead and never looked back as they toppled New Kent 27-15 in the Bay Rivers District affair.

Poquoson would strike twice in a five-minute span to end the opening quarter of play. Brayden Hayes 30-yard scamper into the end zone along with an ensuing kick put the visitors up 7-0. Two minutes later, Trojans’ quarterback Ryan Grey was intercepted by Josh Markley, who returned it 40 yards for another score, providing Poquoson a 14-0 advantage.

Less than three minutes into the second quarter, the Islanders would add to the Trojans’ misery, this time as Markley, now at running back, plunged into the end zone on a fourth down run from four yards out to provide the visitors a huge 21-0 lead, which held up as both teams headed into the halftime break.

New Kent finally got on the right track after Logan Hodge dislodged the ball from Islander running back Julius Pendergrass. Trojan teammate Yanti Locklear scooped the ball up and rumbled 30 yards for a score, reducing the home team’s deficit to 14 (21-7).

In the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Trojans scored on the opening play on offense as Ashton Whitlow found the end zone not only on the touchdown score, but the subsequent two-point conversion to bring the hosts with six (21-15).

But an unsportsmanlike penalty on the celebration of the scores haunted the hosts on the next drive. On the subsequent kickoff and already pushed back, a personal foul set up Poquoson in New Kent’s territory. Moments later, Markley found his way through New Kent’s defense, scattering 30 yards for another touchdown.

New Kent attempted to move the ball down the field to cut the lead again. But the inability to move the ball resulted in nearly six minutes being burnt off the clock. With no points to show for it and Poquoson regaining control of the ball with 6:33 remaining in the game, the Islanders milked the clock on offense and prevented the hosts from reclaiming possession of the ball for the remainder of the game.

After the contest, New Kent Head Coach John McCauley pointed to the miscues that played a major factor in the outcome of the game.

“The two turnovers changed the landscape of this game,” he commented. “We have been battling a lot and we just got back to practice on Friday, so we have players playing different positions.

“The kids did not give up and they battled in the second half,” McCauley continued. “We have to continue to get better as a team because we are allowing too much stuff that shouldn’t happen.”

New Kent’s record falls to 2-2.