Phantoms exorcise demons in semifinal
Phoebus High’s triumph in the Class 3 Region A football semifinals was as much exorcism as victory, a description all the more fitting because the mascot name of tormentor Hopewell is the Blue Devils.
The Blue Devils eliminated the Phantoms in the region playoffs two of the previous three seasons, subsequently winning Class 3 state titles. Phoebus shook the demons quickly Saturday, vaulting to a 14-point lead on Kymari Gray interception returns for touchdowns in the first three minutes en route to a 28-7 win at Darling Stadium.
The victory moves the Phantoms (4-0) into the region championship game at 7 p.m. Friday at Wanner Stadium against Lafayette (6-0), which beat New Kent 35-0 in the other semifinal. The Phantoms will likely celebrate the win over Hopewell this weekend before turning their attention to the Rams.
“We all wanted this,” Phoebus coach Jeremy Blunt said of
facing Hopewell after losing in the region semis in 2017 and in the final a year ago. “This group was really hungry about getting this game back — we all wanted Hopewell.
“Both were close games, but it was one of those situations where we weren’t getting the bounces we got today. We would have hands on balls and not finish it off.”
That was almost the case on the first series of the game, when what appeared to be a sure interception bounced off of the hands of Phoebus defensive back Jalen Mayo. However, the ball landed in the hands of Gray, who sprinted 30 yards to the end zone to give the Phantoms a 7-0 lead.
Mason Cumbie replaced Joseph Eliades at quarterback for Hopewell on the next series, but he unwisely threw a seconddown pass to the same spot on the right sideline. Gray picked off the overthrown ball and returned it 21 yards to give the Phantoms a 14-0 lead with 9 minutes, 9 seconds to play in the first quarter.
“Those boys can’t mess with me, man,” Gray said. “I knew I had to come out and show what I got, and that’s what I did.”
Those touchdowns proved fortuitous in a game that was dominated by the defenses. Hopewell held Phoebus to just 47 yards total offense in the first half. The Blue Devils, who did not cross midfield on their first six possessions of the first half, closed the margin to 14-7 at halftime with a seven-play, 51-yard touchdown drive.
The Blue Devils managed only one more threat — first-and-goal at the Phantoms’ 1 on the first series of the fourth quarter. It was 21-7 by then, as Phoebus quarterback Mark Wagner completed passes of 26 and 9 yards to Gray, then connected with Mayo for a 16-yard score with 6 seconds to play in the third quarter.
But defensive end Trevion Stevenson — Gray’s co-star on the defense all afternoon — dropped Cumbie on fourth-andgoal at the 12 to end the threat. Wagner’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Gray in the final minutes ended Hopewell’s reign as state champs.