Blog LIVE Game Blog - Warwick (6-2) at Hampton (6-1)

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Greetings from Darling Stadium in Hampton, where the top spot in the Peninsula District is at stake tonight. The Hampton Crabbers at 6-1 overall play host to the visiting Warwick Raiders, who have won six straight and check in at 6-2 overall.

Warwick is battling for one of the top seeds in Region 5B, while Hampton is trying to scure the No. 1 seed in Region 4A, which they should be in position to do if they win out.

It's 65 degrees and sunny. The game time temp is set to be 59 degres on this particular in Thursday in October, which is also Homecoming for Hampton.

We'll have updates here and on Twitter or 'X' as it is more commonly referred to @hatfieldsports beginning at 7 PM EST.

 

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Watch tonight's game via the Hampton Media Network on YouTub at the link below.



Sidney Johnson returns the opening kickoff 24 yards to their own 30. On the first play from scrimmage, it's an option keeper play and Marcus Chapman fumbles. It's forced by Avion Rodriguez-Zequeira.

Warwick recovers it with Terius 'Downtown' Brown at the Crabbers 29 just 13 seconds into play.

Great start for the defense for Thomas Sykes and company.

 

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Hampton's defense got some solid hits from Casey Lassiter and his mates - Da'Javon Saunders and Jaydon Ott - but ultimately the Raiders are able to cash in on the takeaway. After an incomplete pass on third down, the Raiders elected to keep the offense on the field for 4th & 5, where Ziyre White-Epps scrambled for a gain of 7 to move the sticks.

Touchback on the ensuing kickoff, so the Crabbers have it at their own 20 with 9:57 to go in the opening period. Interesting decision to go with an empty, five-receiver set on first down. It ends up biting Hampton with QB Marcus Chapman getting sacked by Avion Rodriguz-Zequeira for a loss of 8.

 

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Hampton is in the midst of a nice drive after that early sack. A big completion to Namahri Boyd, worth 28 yards, moved the Crabbers near midfield.

A holding penalty hurts the Crabbers a bit and then QB Marcus Chapman just misses the connection to Montrell Harrison along the sideline for a sizable chunk. Following a 7-yard connection to Casey Lassiter, the Crabbers decide to go for it on 4th & 3 from the Warwick 30.

Chapman tries to lunge forward and as he does coughs up the football, recovered by Warwick with junior Izsaiah Emery-Whitfield. Credit Omari Meredith on forcing the turnover. Regardless of if it was a fumble or not, it would've been Raiders ball.

Warwick takes over now at their own 34 with 5:02 left in the opening stanza.

 

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Another textbook drive for Warwick, all with the running game. The key play once again was a fourth down play. On 4th & 3 from the Hampton 21, the Raiders are able to move the chains with a 12-yard run from the freshman Avione Tucker.

Earlier on the series, another critical play was running back Terius 'Downtown' Brown gaining 14 yards, then the Raiders getting all the way to the Hampton 28 thanks to a 15-yard personal foul penalty for a late hit out of bounds.

Hampton's next series - maybe their most important one of the game when you consider this 14-point deficit against a fierce defense - begins at their own 29 with just over a minute left in this opening quarter.

 

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Even though they trail this one 14-0, Hampton has more yardage. Warwick has not had to go as far of the field in terms of driving for its points, while the Crabbers turned it over twice, directly leading to points by the Raiders.

A Sidney Johnson catch, along with a targeting penalty on Warwick, enabled Hampton to move in the red zone down to the 11-yard line.

Expect them to use the 6-foot-4 triggerman on a QB sneak.

 

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Why did Coach Woodrow Wilson go for 2? That's because Warwick got flagged on the extra point try, allowing the Crabbers to move half the distance to the goal. They go to a spread out formation and Chapman glides into the end zone with ease.

Now we have ourselves a ballgame, folks. The offenses have stepped up to the plate and now we'll see which defense can seize its moment to take control of things before half-time arrives.

 

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Jaron Crittenden returns the ensuing kickoff 29 yards to Warwick's 41 with 11:49 left in the second quarter. Remember, Crittenden had a kickoff and punt return for a touchdown last month against Bethel. His hidden yardage certainly make him an x-factor tonight.

Gavin Kay and Montrell Harrison combine to drop Terius 'Downtown' Brown for a loss of about three yards on 2nd & 1. Warwick tries a deep shot down the field on 3rd & 4 and it's incomplete.

That was something we worried about for the Raiders; could they make key plays in the passing game when called upon? So far tonight, 0 for 2 in the air.

With 10:04 until half-time, it looks like it'll be punting time for the Raiders.

 

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Hampton had another nice drive going, but it ends up fizzling out with Avion Rodriguez-Zequeira deflecting a Marcus Chapman pass on 3rd & 8 from the Raiders 44.

Chapman opened 6 of 7 for 74 yards with completions to five different players - Namahri Boyd, Davion Perry, Casey Lassiter, Sidney Johnson and Montrell Harrison. However, the Warwick defense stepped up as Christian Corbin, the Delaware commit, made his first stop of the night. Kristopher Harrison at one of the corner spots is having an impact and made a loud tackle, too.

An illegal procedure penalty during the punt that was a touchback. Warwick is allowed to enforce those five yards to move up to their own 25 with 7:18 till half-time. Didn't know you were allowed to do that, so learned something there.

Warwick's offense goes 3 & out. Senior d-lineman Gavin Kay - a member of that state title winning basketball team for the Crabbers in 2023-24 - makes a tackle for loss. Da'Javon Saunders moments later is able to sack Ziyre White-Epps on 3rd & 9 for a loss of a yard.

Sidney Johnson returns the punt a couple yards up to Hampton's 39 with 4:51 till half-time.

 

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The Hampton coaches are upset that the officials wiped away that creative 2-point play. They feel it was a legal, backwards pitch before Sidney Johnson found Montrell Harrison for the 2-point conversion. However, the refs felt otherwise.

During tha scoring drive for the Crabbers - a 6-play, 61-yard adventure that took 3:03 - the monster gainer came on a 3rd & 4. That's where QB Marcus Chapman found Abraham Taft, the talented 6-foot-4 receiver who also dabbles in hoops - for a 48-yard completion on an inside slant. Nice job by Taft to lull his defender to sleep on the pattern.

 

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Instead of just taking it to half-time deadlocked at 14-apiece, the Warwick offense tries to get something initiated with their running game. Terius 'Downtown' Brown breaks off runs of 13 yards and 38 yards to move the Raiders into Hampton territory, helping them advance all the way to the 29 of the Crabbers. However, a false start penalty and then QB Ziyre White-Epps gets sacked on 3rd & 9 for a loss of 12 by Sexton Grissett II. That brings us to the break.

 

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Stats at the Half:

Hampton 14:
Marcus Chapman - 7-11 for 121Yds; 9Car. 36Yds. TD
Casey Lassiter - 10Car. 30Yds; 1Rec. 7Yds.
Abraham Taft - 1Rec. 48Yds.
Namahri Boyd - 2Rec. 33Yds.
Davion Perry - 1Rec. 16Yds.
Montrell Harrison - 1Rec. 11Yds; 1Car. 2Yds. TD
Sidney Johnson - 1Rec. 6Yds.
Da'Javon Saunders - 7 Tackles, Sack

Crabbers - 32 plays for 161 total yards (7-11 for 121 yards passing; 21 rushes for 40 yards, 2 lost fumbles); 3 penalties for 30 yards; 2 turnovers


Warwick 14:
Terius Brown - 6Car. 62Yds.
Avione Tucker - 6Car. 48Yds. 2 TD's
Ziyre White-Epps - 9Car. 19Yds.
Avion Rodriguez-Zequeira - 5 Tackles, 2 TFL, PBU, FF

Raiders - 24 plays for 129 total yards (0-3 passing; 21 rushes for 129 yards); 7 penalties for 46 yards; 0 turnovers

 

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Warwick's offense goes 3 & out to begin the second half.

Hampton is on the move after a comletion to Abraham Taft move the sticks. A beautiful 16-yard connection on 3rd & 4 from Marcus Chapman over the middle to Davion Perry.

Shortly thereafter though, it's Chapman intercepted in the end zone by Gamyr Thornton on a pass that was tipped by Tracy Pope.

Warwick takes over at their own 20 with 4:45 to go in the third period.

 

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Want to apologize up front folks -- having some computer issues here that are preventing me from doing my usual play-by-play Blog. Hopefully it gets rectified, but we'll power through and do our best.

Des'Tin Jones nearly intercepts a Warwick pass on third and long. The Raiders punt it away with 1:09 left in the third quarter. Hampton takes over at their own 15 following the Raiders punt.

This has suddenly turn into a defensive batle. Who does that favor? Ordinarily, I'd say Warwick. But the two-dimensional attack of Hampton compared to a Warwick team that is 0 for 5 through the air might be the difference.

 

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Runs of +7 by Casey Lassiter and +2 by Des'Tin Jones bring up the 3rd & 1 opportunity for the Crabbers. Gamyr Thornton and Delaware commit Christian Corbin stop Montrell Harrison for no gain on third down.

Sitting next to me in the booth tonight is our resident historian Lynn Burke, longtime prep sports reporter for the Daily Press. Lynn has an awesome book out that we'll be telling you more about soon regarding the history of High School Football in Hampton Roads.

Anyways, Lynn just blurted out, "Why does this feel like we might be headed for overtime?" Got the same sneaky suspicion.

 

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A 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Warwick after QB Marcus Chapman converts the 4th & 1 sneak allows the Crabbrs to inch closer to midfield at their own 40. Casey Lassiter runs for eight yards, stopped by Supreme Payne (what a name?) of Warwick.

Zion Coles-McFarland rushes for 12 yards and then after an incomplete pass, Chapman is intercpted by a Jaron Crittenden, who made one heck of a play for the takeaway. Crittenden was falling away and somehow was able to stay inbounds, at his own 7 with 9:50 to play.

 

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After a false start penalty, Warwick gets the yardage back and then some on an 8-yard keeper from QB Ziyre White-Epps. However, on 3rd & 5 from their own 12, the Raiders go backwards on the handoff to Terius 'Downtown' Brown as junior lineman Murice Jackson met him right away for a loss of 3. Warwick ends up punting from its own end zone. Hampton will let it take a couple of hops and have the ball at the Raiders 39 with 6:50 remaining, trying to complete the comeback.

 

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The fresh legs of junior tailback Zion Coles-McFarland are paying dividends. His first run went for 12 yards. His second of hte night go for 29 yards, all the way down to the Warwick 10. The Raiders hang tough on first down, but then it's Casey Lassiter running hard for 9 yards to the goal-line, plus a Warwick penalty to make it 2nd & Goal from the 1-inch line with 5:34 left to play.

A sub infraction on Hampton - believe it's either their first or second penalty of the half - backing them up to the 6. Costly.

 

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Casey Lassiter, who's listed at 5-5 and 140 pounds (though he told me he's 5-7... so let's give him a couple of those inches), somehow wiggled his way out out trouble between the 5 and 3 yard line, getting behind the pile of linemen that helped him get into the end zone.

Somewhere up in heaven, former Crabbers longtime line coach Danny Mitchell is smiling.

 

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New QB in for Warwick in Zymehir Hawkins, the 6-foot-2, 170-pound junior that began the season in that role. His first pass of the night is incomplete following a 13-yard run from Terius Brown. In fact, it's actually an intentional grounding penalty.

Senior LB Sexton Grissett II stops Hawkins for a loss of a few. Warwick burns their final time-out with 3:46 left to play, trailing 21-14 and facing 3rd & 20 from their own 24.

 

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A holding penalty on Warwick is declined, so Warwick is now 0 for 7 through the air passing the football and facing the unenviable 4th & 20 from their own 24.

Without any time-outs, would you contemplate punting here and trusting your defense? Maybe... but the Raiders aren't.

Hawkins throws it out of bounds near the Hampton sideline. Incomplete. Hampton now can put this one to bed with 3:31 left.

The Crabbers have no need to throw a pass now.

 

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Warwick gtts hit with their 14th penalty of the night - this one a personal foul - that makes it half the distance to the 12-yard line of the Raiders for Hampton. A loss of two on the run. After a time-out, QB Marcus Chapman runs for a yard and they bleed some more clock before the Crabbers take their final time-out before a delay of game comes with 1:26 remaining.

It'll be 3rd & 11 from the Warwick 13. Worth noting again that Warwick is out of time-outs.

 

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Casey Lassiter gains about five yards on third down for Hampton. Apparently the Crabbers had one time-out left when we thought they were out and they burn it with 40 seconds to go before 4th & 6 from the Raiders 8.

Hampton is lining up for a field goal and Warwick gets called for encroachment. So on 4th & 2 from the Warwick 4, the 22-yard field goal for the Crabbers is... no good!

So Warwick now has a chance with 36 seconds left from their own 20, albeit a slim one without a time-out.

 

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First pass is incomplete and so too is the next one, although QB Zymehr Hawkins had a guy open in the flat he just missed. Sexton Grissett II does a good job in coverage on the third down pass underneath that also falls incomplete.

Now facing 4th & 10 from their own 20 with 23 seconds to go, the Raiders must complete a pass to keep any hope alive. Not good odds with them 0 for 11 on the evening.

 

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The jump ball near midfield is picked by Marcus Chapman, who then races down the sideline for a good 25-30 yards before he's knocked out of bounds with 6 seconds to play. Officials actually huddle and say he was out of bounds at his own 45. But Hampton can run the clock out and get the victory nonetheless. They close out the regular season against Heritage and Bethel.

 

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More to come later... stay tuned!