North Cross wins 3rd VISAA State title in four years
North Cross won the VISAA DII State championship with a 54-22 win over St. Anne’s-Belfield. The Raiders, who won back-to-back state titles in 2022 and 2023, came up two points short last year. However, they left no doubt this season, earning home-field advantage and playing a difficult schedule to enter the game as favorites. It was the 1st State title for Head Coach Dwayne Priest, who was an assistant on previous Raiders title teams.
North Cross scored two touchdowns in the 1st quarter on a touchdown reception by Demarcus Brown from Kingston Paquet and a 2-yard touchdown run for UNC commit Ja’ziel Hart.
St. Anne’s-Belfield quarterback Haden Morris completed a 35-yard touchdown pass to Chase Miller with 26 seconds to go in the 1st quarter to cut the lead to 14-7.
Ja’ziel Hart scored again from 20 yards out with 8:32 remaining in the 2nd quarter. North Cross 20 St. Anne’s-Belfield 7.
After a pick-six by A.J. Wiltshire for a 50-yard touchdown, the Raiders drove the length of the field to set up Hart for his 3rd touchdown with 1:18 to go before halftime. The Raiders led 28-15 at the break.
The Raiders pulled away in the 3rd quarter, scoring 20 points to stretch the lead to 48-15.
The Saints opened the 2nd half with a drive that put them inside the Raiders’ 10-yard line, thanks to two completions totaling 50 yards by Haden Morris. The North Cross held and stopped the Saints at the 7-yard line.
North Cross drove 93 yards and scored when Paquet found Demarcus Brown for a 17-yard touchdown pass. The Raiders’ kickoff was a pooch kick, and Hart recovered. Paquet again found Demarcus Brown for 36 yards, and the rout was on with North Cross leading 41-15.