Armstrong Holds On For 21-14 Win Over TJ!
A rivalry game truly does not need much more than that but on a Thursday afternoon that bled into a Monday afternoon there was more than enough to talk about. I don’t honestly know where to start.
The two days could not have been more different, yet similar.
On the one hand you had a Thursday afternoon with clouds swirling that ultimately impacted the game. We had drizzle, sun, a rainbow, more rain, thunder and lightening all within a 2 hour span. On top of that you had an Armstrong team seize control of a game on their rivals field. Then come Monday afternoon we have a beautiful Autumn-esqe day with a breeze blowing in from Broad that brought the smell of fried onions and peppers from Mr. Submarine sweeping across the field to smack you in the face… and make you hungry. TJ this time was the team in control early as the Wildcats had to hold on to preserve their victory that took roughly 96 hours to secure.
The emotions as one would expect ran high in this rivalry game. Before the game could even get started Armstrong was challenging the Vikings by coming to midfield igniting a vocal reaction from the home team. Throughout the game there were hard hits and words exchanged. Words were also exchanged in the melee that ensued with the game being stopped and the confusion that became that situation.
Of course there were penalties, especially in the second half with a questionable hold that brought a play that could have changed the trajectory of the game back. There was also a barrage of sideline penalties assessed to TJ for being too close to the line. Of course if anyone has ever been to TJ, their sideline is not so big so what is a team to do?
The atmosphere at TJ is unique if I am being honest. From the home side you can see Broad Street and the activity of that street and on either side of TJ you have neighborhoods. For those that did not have a ticket, they could simply walk to the fence surrounding the perimeter and watch. Whether it was a fan who didn’t have a ticket or just a resident of the surrounding neighborhood, there were no shortage of curious eyes. I can only imagine what a night game would look like but we may never see that.
Then there was the game of course. A game where Armstrong for much of the game looked like the better team if we are being honest. The Wildcats on both sides of the ball made more consistent plays. Not once did the Wildcats go three and out. They consistently moved the ball down the field and sometimes in a flurry.
Shadarius Pickett had flashes where he showed off his speed and athleticism as he finished with 62 yards on the ground. Anthony Hansom, Jr. continues to show what he is capable of after being a backup last year at Varina. All this young man did was rush for a touchdown and throw for one another. Hansom finished with 162 yards of offense to his credit.
Perhaps more impressive was the defense. Ronald Jackson had him a day with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown and 12 tackles. Jackson and Donzell Jones-Teal accounted for 22 of the Wildcats 75 tackles! A’veri Hornes, Aladin Sims and Teon Roane all nearly had double digit tackles of their own. The defense was aggressive and fast. Nazir Adams broke up a pass, Brendon Oliver constantly brought pressure to TJ’s QB Joseph Robertson. I’ve seen Armstrong every season of the Pruitt era and this is by far the best I’ve seen them play.
For as well as Armstrong played, TJ still had a chance. The Vikings scored just one touchdown in the first half when Daeron Ferguson rumbled in from 11 yards out. At times the Vikings offense looked perplexed in effective. With a few days to regroup, the Vikings offense looked better. With good field position given a blocked punt, the Vikings had Daeron back in the end zone in 4 plays.
The Vikings offense had a better outing on Monday afternoon than Thursday which set the stage for a dramatic ending to a drama filled 98 hour football game.
Last Series
The Vikings got the ball back with very little time left and made shorter by a clock operator that struggled and that is being kind.
TJ was backed up at their 10 yard line. On second down following a hold Joseph Robertson and Amare Gough hooked up for a 13-yard pass play.
Robertson would connect with Daeron Ferguson and twice to #12 who I did not see listed on the roster. With 35 seconds to go in the game the Vikings had the ball at the Armstrong 38. The media in attendance was a buzz with thoughts of an overtime game. It would only be fitting given the length of time it took to get to this point right?
Robertson loses a yard on a quarterback keeper with Zion Williams, Brendon Oliver and Devon Epps all mobbing him.
29 seconds to go, Robertson’s pass falls incomplete.
19 seconds to go 3rd & 11 Robertson hit Trevon Turner. The Vikings are scrambling to get to the ball and spike it but Armstrong won’t have it. Penalty comes out as a Wildcat kicks the ball away. That moves the ball to the Armstrong 15 and TJ has a fresh set of downs to work with.
Time for one play… Robertson eyes his man Dominique Sauls as opposed to Gough and sends the ball that way towards the corner of the end zone. Aladdin Sims, the hero of the day for the Wildcats stays toe to toe with Sauls and goes up to breakup the play! Game over, Armstrong wins!
| Time | Play | Score |
| 1Q – 9:33 | 38-yard return from Ronald Jackson on blocked punt. Mac Noland PAT. | Armstrong 7-0 |
| 1Q – 3:08 | 11-yard run from Daeron Ferguson. Emerson Pelletier PAT. | Thomas Jefferson 7-7 |
| 2Q – 9:01 | 22-yard pass from Anthony Hansom to Keyvon McCloud. Mac Noland PAT. | Armstrong 14-7 |
| 2Q – 2:08 | 22-yard quarterback keeper. Mac Noland PAT. | Armstrong 21-7 |
| 3Q – 7:43 | 3-yard run from Daeron Ferguson. Emerson Pelletier PAT. | Thomas Jefferson 14-21 |
Players of the Game
One might look at the scoreboard and say this is easy, it’s Anthony ‘Shug’ Hansom, the Wildcats QB. Case could be made for that for sure but let’s not overlook the contributions of one Ronald Jackson on defense. This young man was everywhere no matter what day the game was played. He got things started on Thursday with that blocked punt returned for a score. He finished it with a defensive effort of a team high 12 tackles as the Wildcats had two shutout quarters of football.
As for TJ… look no further than Daeron Ferguson who scored both Viking touchdowns. A modest 68 yards on 15 carries Daeron continues to be one of the bright spots of the season thus far for TJ.
Coach Speak
Post-Game Nuggets
Armstrong improves to 24-21 versus TJ with this their first win over the Viking since 2023 playoffs.
This is the first regular season victory for Armstrong over TJ since 2015.
Coach Harris and Coach Pruitt are locked up at 2 games a piece in this intensifying rivalry game.
This was just Coach Harris’ first loss in the regular season after going undefeated in the regular season the previous two seasons.
As you can piece together, Coach Harris has now three total losses thru 26 games.