LIVE Game Blog - Hampton (2-0) at Woodside (1-1)

[matthew328826]

Greetings from John B. Todd Stadium in Newport News on this Thursday night, September 18, 2025, as we have Peninsula District Football. It's a beautiful 71-degree evening, where the Woodside Wolverines (1-1) play their first home game with brand new purple uniforms against the visiting Hampton Crabbers (2-0).

See our Picks & Analysis in this week's Tidewater Predictions article here

Updates to follow here and via Twitter or 'X' @hatfieldsports

 

[matthew328826]

Woodside begins with it at their own 20 and they go 3 & out. The Hampton defensive front shuts down the run with a no gain on one play and then a loss of two on another, following a 5-yard Wolverines penalty. On third and long, the Wolverines go to the air and their pass on an out pattern towards the far sideline falls incomplete.

Hampton takes over at the Woodside 39 with 10:04 showing on the first quarter clock. Great field position for their talented junior QB Marcus Chapman, who comes in having accounted for 8 total TD's in two victories.

 

[matthew328826]

Marcus Chapman was smooth operating the Hampton offense on that first series, taking what the defense gave him and completing his first four passes for a total of 28 yards to the likes of Casey Lassiter, Davion Perry and Abraham Taft.

Taft is one of two newcomers to the football team from basketball along with Gavin Kay, who at 6-foot-7 or dare we say 6-foot-8, towers over the opposition.

Woodside's second possession begins at their own 44 with 6:57 to go in the opening period. After losing a yard on first down, an incomplete pass brings up 2nd & 11. There it is senior QB Terris Bowen III scrambling for a gain of 7 yards. On 4th & 4, second-year Wolverines Head Coach Alonzo Coley is contemplating going for it right at midfield.

 

[matthew328826]

Hampton is able to block the punt, thnaks to that basketbal standout mentioned in the last post, Gavin Kay, who had multiple tackles for loss in last week's blowout of Menchville.

Sets the Crabbers up with excellent field position at the Woodside 24 with 5:49 to go in the opening period.

 

[matthew328826]

Despite a couple of penalties, the Hampton offense continues to click on all cylinders, especailly in the passing game. Outside of a tackle for loss from Tasean Benbow, the Woodside defense looks a bit helpless in trying to stop Marcus Chapman.

Of course, it doesn't help matters the Wolverines were missing four starters a week ago vs. Norview and still have two of their starting linebackers out. One of them - Kingston Joyner - is out indefinitely with a broken wrist.

 

[matthew328826]

On series No. 3, the Woodside offense finally moves the chains, thanks to senior QB Terris Bowen III scrambling for 8 yards on 3rd & 7. The Hampton defense has stayed at home on the zone runs and Gavin Kay made a big tackle moments before that conversion.

What has to please Hampton Head Coach Woodrow Wilson and his staff the most is that even though the Wolverines made a couple of plays of positive gains, the defense has had eight different players make a tackle for loss. That includes a trio of white shirts in red pants - wearing the Hampton unis - stopping Bowen on 4th & 3 from the 43, short of midfield and short of moving the sticks.

 

[matthew328826]

Credit Tasean Benbow for stopping Montrell Harrison on the run play a yard short of the first down. Gives Woodside possession at their own 31, just six seconds into the second period.

Following a pass interference penalty on the Hampton defense, a screen pass on the far side of the field gets Woodside into Hampton territory. Terris Bowen III finds Daniel Young for 22 yards. After a run of no gain and incomplete, now the Wolverines find themselves in a tricky 3rd & 10 situation from the Crabbers 36.

 

[matthew328826]

What a heck of a run by Terris Bowen III, who cut back to his left and has taken advantage of the gaps in the Hampton defense when scrambling around.

Da'Javon Saunders recovers the onside kick try by Woodside. So once again, the Crabbers have generous field position - at their own 45 - with 10:33 to play in the second period.

 

[matthew328826]

Believe that was a stop-and-go pattern for Abraham Taft, who was able to get a matchup on the outside he liked and QB Marcus Chapman exploited that with a pinpoint pass. Earlier in the half, the Crabbers showed a little bit of the speed option in their package, too. Having a QB like Chapman (a legit 6-4, 185 pounds with ability to run or throw) opens up so much for wha they can do offensively.

Hampton's offense forced Woodside to burn its final time-out of the half during that series as their secondary is at a major disadvantage. As are the linebackers and defensive linemen in chase mode, for that matter.

BIG hit from Montrell Harrison on the ensuing kickoff. Woodside has it at their own 25 after an 8-yard return with 9:20 to go in the first half.

 

[matthew328826]

Just when Woodside was on the move again - thanks to another superb scramble worth 30 yards by QB Terris Bowen III - one of his Wolverines teammates loses his cool. Woodside gets hit with multiple 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, one of which resulted in an ejection.

Instead of having it 2nd & 10 from the Crabbers 45, they get hit with a 2nd & 40 from their own 25. They don't recover and end up punting. Sidney Johnson returns a Woodside punt to the Wolverines 44 with 6:21 till intermission. Definitely feels like the Crabbers are about to find paydirt again soon.

 

[matthew328826]

Casey Lassiter hit the hole in a hurry and then had the extra effort / 'juice' to take it to the distance on that play, not allowing the Woodside defensive back to bring him down.

Defensively, it's going to take all three levels in sync to slow down what the Crabbers present offensively.

 

[matthew328826]

Woodside's sixth possession begins at their own 26. A run for no gain is followed by a 5-ryard run from QB Terris Bowen III.

Marcus Chapman, the talented 2027 QB for Hampton with an NC State offense, makes a really nice hit on defense from his free safety position. Did not notice him playing defense before until that play. An encroachment penalty though on the Crabbers on 3rd & 5 gives the Wolverines a fresh set of downs.

Similar to what was seen a week ago for Woodside in falling behind against Norview, their passing game just lacks the efficiency right now for them sustain drives.

Hampton's defense bails the Wolverines out with a pass interference. It's the 7th penalty for 73 yards on the Crabbers and puts Woodside in Hampton territory at the 49. Their QB, Bowen III, took a vicious shot from LB Montrel Harrison. Backup junior QB Urijah Harden has to come in for Bowen, still recovering from that hit.

 

[matthew328826]

Terris Bowen III returns and fires a 31-yard completion to fellow senior James Campbell on 3rd & 11 to extnd the Woodside drive. Hampton's defense bends a bit, but they don't break. Sexton Grissett II makes a tackle for loss for the Crabbers, plus senior DT Murice Jackson makes a couple of sacks as well.

Coming out of the time-out with 20 seconds to go, the Wolverines pass on 4th & 4 from the Hampton 14 falls incomplete.

Hampton takes a knee to go to half-time with a 21-point cushion.

 

[matthew328826]

Some numbers to come in a bit...

 

[matthew328826]

Stats at the Half:

Hampton 28:
Marcus Chapman - 7-9 for 91Yds. 2-0 TD/Int. ratio; 3Car. 24Yds. TD
Casey Lassiter - 3Car. 75Yds. TD
Abraham Taft - 3Rec. 39Yds.
Nahmari Boyd - 1Rec. 32Yds.
Sidney Johnson - 3Car. 17Yds.
Montrel Harrison - 3Car. 11Yds.
Murice Jackson - 5 Tackles, 3 TFL, 2 Sacks
Gene Jones Jr. - 5 Tackles, 0.5 TFL

Crabbers - 23 plays for 222 total yards (14 rushes for 131 yards; 7-9 for 91 yards passing); 8 penalties for 84 yards; 0 turnovers


Woodside 7:
Terris Bowen III - 3-11 for 48Yds; 10Car. 84Yds.
Daniel Young - 7Car. 12Yds; 1Rec. 22Yds.
James Campbell - 2Rec. 26Yds.
Lynton Mills Jr. - 4 Tackles (3 Solo)
Tasean Benbow - 3 Tackles

Wolverines - 32 plays for 137 total yards (21 rushes for 89 yards; 3-11 for 48 yards passing); 3 penalties for 35 yards; 0 turnovers

 

[matthew328826]

A workmanlike drive for Hampton, finished off with Marcus Chapman's TD pass to Davion Perry on a corner route in the back of the end zone.

The Crabbers used the run to set up the pass well on that drive, converting a 4th & 1 with QB Chapman's run of 12 yards into Woodside territory.

Woodside's first series of this third quarter begins at their own 27 with 9:04 on the clock.

 

[matthew328826]

This Hampton defensive line continues to give Woodside's o-line fits as Gavin Kay makes a tackle for loss on the QB Terris Bowen III on 2nd & 10. An injury time-out brings in the backup signal caller, Urijah Haden, who is able to run for 3 yards on 3rd & 11 before Murice Jackson brings him down.

Not much of a passing attack tonight for the Wolverines - just 3 of 12 for 48 yards - and now they are punting it away again.

Hampton takes over at the 50 with 7:50 to go in the third period, thinking about another score and 2-point play to make this a running clock.

 

[matthew328826]

Tasean Benbow makes another firm tackle for the Woodside defense to limit Montrel Harrison to a gain of just one one first down.

Deandre Evans sacks Marcus Chapman on 2nd & 9. Chapman's pass over the middle is just a hair off and incomplete on 3rd & 15. Looks like Hampton will be punting for the first time tonight.

However, Woodside muffs the punt. Hampton takes over at the Woodside 37.

 

[matthew328826]

Sidney Johnson got stopped a yard short on the play before, but Marcus Chapman's scramble of 23 yards one play prior put them in position and the Crabbers decided to let their ultra-talented QB finish the series off with a TD run.

 

[matthew328826]

Hampton's defensive line is putting its fingerprints all over this one with Murice Jackson making a tackle for loss, followed by a sack from Gene Jones Jr. Sexton Grissett II applied heavy pressure as well as Gavin Kay. Woodside goes 3 & out and will punt it away on 4th & 27 from their own 13.

A short Woodside punt and minimal return gives Hampton the ball at the Wolverines 21 with 1:25 to go in the third period. Any type of score now for the Crabbers will put the running clock into effect.

 

[matthew328826]

Backup QB finds the son of one of the Crabbers assistant coaches to put the running clock into effect.

 

[matthew328826]

More to come later... stay tuned!