Patriots’ defense stops Lee-Davis on crucial 2-point play

By DAVE LAWRENCE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Published: September 20, 2008

SLIDESHOW: Lee-Davis vs. Patrick Henry

As the closest Tomato Bowl in recent years neared its end last night, Lee-Davis seemed poised for victory.

The Confederates were one point away after a 51-yard touchdown pass from Will Burton to T.J. Harvey. Rather than settle for a tie, they attempted a two-point conversion.

At first, it seemed to work. Starting from a muddle-huddle formation, running back David Fetter scampered into the end zone untouched, but those points would not stand—Patrick Henry coach Ray Long had been calling for a timeout before the snap.

Lee-Davis tried it again on the second attempt, and Fetter got close but was ruled down inches from the goal line, two points shy of the win.

For the remaining 4:48, Patrick Henry held on to claim a 14-13 victory in the 49th installment of the Hanover County rivalry.

“They’re a pretty good football team. Coach [Jason] Meade has done a lot with him,“ Long said of Lee-Davis (1-2). “We watched them against Hermitage, and I thought they outplayed Hermitage, to tell you the truth. And then last week, they pretty much handled James River.“

The two teams were closely matched. Patrick Henry (2-1) had the edge in its running game, powered by running back Adrian Cavanaugh, who finished with 15 carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Brandon Cash, with 24 carries for 110 yards.

Lee-Davis, on the other hand, had an edge in passing. Starting quarterback Burton completed 9 of 23 passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns—his other touchdown, the first of the game, on a 25-yard pass to Harvey.

After the Confederates’ first score, Patrick Henry’s settled down on defense. The Patriots’ offense made the most of its early opportunities.

In response to Lee-Davis’ opening score, they took advantage of a 43-yard run by Cash, followed two plays later by Cavanaugh’s 9-yard touchdown run to cap a five-play, 68-yard drive midway through the first quarter.

Patrick Henry scored again early in the second quarter, with Cavanaugh providing the big spark. On the second play of the drive, he broke free for a 40-yard run to give the Patriots a first down at the Lee-Davis 29.

Seven plays later, Cavanaugh scored on a 1-yard run.

“We’ve got to get our offense better. We’ve got to keep working at it,“ Long said. “Our defense has kept us together the first three weeks. It’s time for our offense to come through. . . . Maybe we’ve got some kids in the wrong spots. We need to re-evaluate what we’re doing to see if we can get this straightened out.“

Part of Patrick Henry’s difficulties is a new offense.

“We’re in the shotgun, trying to run the Utah offense,“ Long said. “We’ve got to be able to throw the ball a little bit better to get people off us. We need to do some different things offensively. Just from the standpoint when it’s third-and-two and we just need two yards, we’ve got to play smash-mouth football.“

For his part, Meade was pleased with his team’s performance. He had no regrets going for two points in the fourth quarter.

“At that point in the game, we wanted those two points on the board,“ Meade said. “It’s what we do. We’re going to run the muddle huddle, and we’re going to be successful at it.“

Patrick Henry 7 7 0 0—14
Lee-Davis 7 0 0 6—13

LD—Harvey 25 pass from Burton (Stevens kick)

PH—Cavanaugh 9 run (Hayden kick)

PH—Cavanaugh 1 run (Hayden kick)

LD—Harvey 51 pass from Burton (run failed)

RUSHING
Patrick Henry—Cavanaugh 15 carries 111 yards, Cash 24-110, Derricott 5-1, Harris 2-10, Kenny 1-24. Lee-Davis Burton 8-31, Walton 8-10, Gardner 3-4, Wyatt 2-(minus 1), Connerley 1-30, Craig 1-2.

PASSING
Patrick Henry—Cash 0 completions 4 attempts. Lee-Davis Burton 9-23-116-0, Gardner 2-3-18-0.

RECEIVING
Lee-Davis—Marlow 3 receptions 12 yards, Harvey 5-102, Walton 2-4, Morris 1-16.