2 weeks Ago
North Cross had it covered, keeping the Saints out of the end zone until the fourth quarter, finding offense through big plays and coming away with a 24-6 victory on Saturday afternoon at Willis Field in Roanoke. “All week we were just preaching playing fast and physical,” Raiders first-year coach Dwayne Priest said. “We knew we were going to have shorter bodies than what they’ve got, but watching our guys come out, they played our style of football.
” Since a 34-14 loss to Trinity Episcopal in late August, North Cross (7-1) has rattled off six straight wins, beating opponents by an average of 28 points. They’ll finish up their regular-season slate next week against Potomac School before their postseason campaign for a third straight VISAA Division II state championship begins. “With the rankings and everything, we really fought hard and knew this would be important if we did win,” senior quarterback Brock Miles said.
“It was good to see us have a great week of practice and then come out and perform. It was fun to see.” Miles threw two touchdown passes, both in the second half, as the Raiders built a 24-0 lead.
He finished 9 of 16 for 262 yards and zero interceptions. Jaziel Hart and Jase Rhodes, two receivers/defensive backs with Power Four offers, were the recipients of those touchdown throws, with Hart hauling in a wide-open 60-yard catch and Rhodes snagging an impressive one-handed 42-yard reception in heavy coverage. Hart finished with two catches for 87 yards and Rhodes collected two catches for 45 yards.
Tight end Daniel Skoog had catches of 40 and 54 yards in the first half, the latter of which set up North Cross with a first-and-goal at the 4-yard line. Hart scored on a handoff on the next play for the first touchdown of the game, which came with 1:18 remaining in the second quarter. Skoog also kicked a 26-yard field goal to give the Raiders a lead on the first drive of the contest.
“We knew what they would do on one side of the ball versus the other, we just had a good idea, and they came out how we thought they were going to, so we just tried to execute,” Miles said. “My receivers are so talented, I just throw it up to them and they make plays. It’s really all my receivers, O-line, running backs, they all did a really good job.
” On the defensive side, St. Christopher’s (4-5) didn’t score until the 6:23 mark of the final frame on a 1-yard plunge by Michael Farley Jr. The Saints failed to convert the ensuing two-point attempt to try and make it a two-score game, and their onside kick was also unsuccessful.
They forced a turnover on downs, got the ball back with 4:26 remaining and reached the opposing 14-yard line, but a fourth-and-6 throw landed incomplete with 2:11 left to virtually seal the game. Chase Roberts finished 16 of 26 for 173 yards for St. Christopher’s, while Jayden Brown caught five passes for 50 yards.
Four of the Saints’ nine drives resulted in turnovers on downs, and a missed 34-yard field goal ended another drive. Hart, as well as Sander Frogner, LaVari Brown and Walker Reel, recorded sacks for North Cross. “Believing.
That’s all they did,” Priest said. “They played fast and they played physical. .
.. I feel, if we play fast and physical, we can play with any team.
” North Cross hosts Potomac (5-3) next in a noon kickoff on Saturday. St. Christopher’s returns home to Richmond to face crosstown foe Collegiate (3-4).
“When I first learned about them, they liked to quit,” Priest said of his squad. “They liked to quit when things got hard, but now that I’ve seen them in the middle of the season, they’re digging deep and they’re finding their second wind to be able to finish a game with the limited bodies that we’ve got.”.
