Varina makes fast work of Cosby
The Highland Springs football team decided to visit Varina last night after playing an afternoon game. What they saw was a team that's peaking at the right time.
Trey Johnson had his usual big game -- 271 yards and four touchdowns -- but there was no player of the game this week, just a whole team that deserves recognition. The No. 4 Blue Devils put up 30 first-quarter points on the way to a 50-14 blowout of No. 10 Cosby. It started as an intriguing nondistrict matchup and ended with a running clock.
"We're sending a message to the region that Varina's no joke," receiver Jerel Harrison said. "You've got to come through Varina to win the region."
Titans quarterback Fuller Hoepner stood no chance against a Blue Devils blitz led by DaJon Austin and Addonis Robinson. Hoepner didn't complete a pass until the second quarter.
"Our game plan was to make sure he didn't really get the ball off," Robinson said. "But we had no idea it was going to be like that."
Varina's 30-point first quarter began with a touchdown that was called back on a penalty -- a scenario that would happen twice in the frame. The drive ended with Harrison bringing in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Hermon Norrell.
On Cosby's first possession, a bad snap on a punt created a safety for Varina, which was followed on the first play after the free kick by a 51-yard touchdown run for Johnson.
"My line was giving me wide-open holes all day long," Johnson said. "I was just running through them."
Johnson added another TD, this one set up by a 16-yard run up the middle by Harrison, who then set the lead block on the 4-yard touchdown. The Norrell-to-Harrison combo struck again on the final play of the quarter, and four Cody McDaniel extra points added up to a 30-point quarter.
"When we start fast, we're tough to beat," coach Stu Brown said. "We wanted to start fast, punch them in the mouth and play Varina football."
Cosby broke through with a 44-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Dillon midway through the second quarter. The Titans' only other touchdown was at the end of the game when Andre Redd broke a 68-yard run down the Cosby sideline.
Johnson added his fourth and final touchdown to end the first half.
The game sped to a conclusion in the second half, with a running clock keeping things moving. Varina's starters played one drive, then many of them headed to the bench for the rest of the night. That strategy both ran out the game and kept the Springers from seeing any more of the Blue Devils' offense from their perch in the bleachers.
Varina finished off the scoring late with a 51-yard touchdown run by De'Chavon Hayes.
While the Blue Devils are No. 4 in the latest T-D Top 10, it's a healthy team that is ready to turn some heads. They'll get a chance to do that in a couple of weeks, this time with the Springers in the role of opponent instead of spectator.
Cosby ------------------------- 0 7 0 7 -- 14
Varina ------------------------- 30 14 0 6 -- 50
V Harrison 10 pass from Norrell (McDaniel kick)
V Safety, ball hit out of end zone
V Johnson 51 run (McDaniel kick)
V Johnson 4 run (McDaniel kick)
V Harrison 54 pass from Norrell (McDaniel kick)
V Johnson 79 run (McDaniel kick)
C Dillon 44 pass from Hoepner (Denuel kick)
V Johnson 9 run (McDaniel kick)
C Redd 68 run (Denuel kick)
V Hayes 51 run (kick failed)
RUSHING
Varina Johnson 17-271, Hayes 7-78, Harrison 4-71, Norrell 1-12, Williams 1-11, Jones 1-9, Finney 1-6, Lawson 1-minus-2. Cosby Hoepner 11-14, Redd 5-77, Ferrell 5-2, Hanley 1-minus-1.
PASSING
Varina Norrell 4-7-53. Cosby Hoepner 6-19-44.
RECEIVING
Varina Williams 1-16, Harrison 3-37. Cosby Lusk 3-18, Dillon 1-18, Egerton 1-4, Williams 1-4.
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