Tale of Two Halves, Botetourt advances to State Finals
Lord Botetourt H.S., Daleville, Va. – In an epic State 3A Semi-Final Championship, Lord Botetourt jumped out to a 24-0 lead early in the third only to have to hang on to beat a determined LCA Bulldog squad. Lord Botetourt Head Coach Jamie Harless was impressed with the LCA team, “Great football team with a lot of great players.” The Cavs went ahead on a K 6 Bryson Harvery 43-yard FG at the start of the second quarter and then a 14-point surge in the last :39 seconds of the half. Botetourt RB 10 Hunter Rice scored from four yards out and QB 7 K.J. Bratton added to that with a 46-yard dart after a 
DB 11 Jakari Nicely interception. LB added seven more when Bratton broke away on a 74-yard TD run in the third. LCA stormed back with three TDs by QB 7 Davis Lane, two 1-yard scores and a 4-yard run. Between that the Bulldogs got a safety. Liberty Christian had a chance to tie it on a 2-point conversion, but the pass was batted away by DB 1 Sammy Peery.
First Quarter – This game started as expected with two good teams feeling each other out and pushing at the edges a little bit. LCA took the opening kickoff. On first down Bulldog QB 7 Davis Lane threw a deep pass to WR/DB Jaylin Belford but the Senior couldn’t come up with it. Neither team was able to dent the scoring column in the first quarter.
Botetourt OL 72 Hunter McLain blocks LCA NG 50 Zach Rice
Second Quarter – The second quarter’s first play from scrimmage saw Botetourt’s able bodied Kicker 6, Bryson Harvey gave the Cavs the early lead with a 43-yard, left footed boot through the uprights with yards to spare. LB led 3-0. The hardhitting and tough defense continued early in the second, but most of the scoring happened with only :39 left until halftime.
RB/LB 10 Hunter Rice scores from 4 yards out
Botetourt LB/RB 10 Hunter Rice, who started only at Linebacker and not his usual running back position, made his first appearance in the backfield late in the second quarter. He gave the Cavs the lift they needed. Coach Harless was impressed with his Senior, “When he’s in there you better have 13 guys on defense against him, cause he’s going to make a couple of them miss.”The VMI bound Senior capped off a 84-yard drive with a 4-yard scoring run up the middle behind C 52 Troy Everett, OL 55 Daniel Smith, and TE’s 9 Xavier Stephens and 44 Zach Horton. After K 6 Harvey’s point after, Botetourt led 10-0. On LCA’s next play from scrimmage, DB 11 Jakari Nicely intercepted QB 7 Davis Lane’s tipped toss created by tight coverage by Botetourt DB 32 Mason Murphy. The Cavaliers were in business again. Coach Harless called Nicely’s pick off “amazing, …He’s a freshman… what a play.”
Botetourt QB 7 K.J. Bratton follows his blocks
QB 7 K.J. Bratton looked to run out the rest of the clock, thirty nine seconds, but found a hole around the left side and took off. Nobody was going to catch him.
Botetourt QB 7 Bratton breaks two tackles in route to a long TD run
The 48-yard TD run had the Bulldogs in shock and Lord Botetourt in cloud nine. K 6 Harvey punched through the extra point and Botetourt’s lead had mushroomed to 17-0 in a short amount of time.
QB 7 Bratton finishes off touchdown run in the first half for Botetourt
Third Quarter – Lord Botetourt’s QB 7 Bratton got busy again early in the third quarter finding paydirt on a 74-yard run around the right end in a steady rain. The Junior broke a couple tackles and darted to the endzone. Early in the third, it looked like Botetourt was on their way to the State Championship game with a 24-0 lead.
Liberty Christian looked to have something going but Safety 1 Peery snuffed out the drive with an interception. Botetourt gave it right back a few plays later on a low snap that bounded back off the QB’s legs and back into the line. Liberty Christian recovered.
LCA wasn’t done yet. The Bulldogs didn’t get this far without a spirit of no quit. And that’s exactly what they put on display. Liberty Christian got a score closer on a one yard run by QB 7 Lane drive featuring an end around and short passes.
LCA RB 26 Cade Wycoff comes up just short on a 2-point try
The two point try was denied by LB 10 Rice and DB 11 Nicely as well as the center of the Botetourt defensive line. Botetourt still led 24-6. at the 6:20 mark.
LCA continued to take advantage of their momentum. The Bulldog defense did their part to give LCA a fighter’s chance in the second half. Forcing Botetourt deep in their own territory to punt on fourth down out of their own end zone, the Cavs mishandled the wet football. In the mad melee to get the pigskin, the ball was knocked out of the back of the end zone. The result was a Liberty safety making the score 24-8. The quarter concluded with LCA only two scores away from tying the game up.
Liberty Christian LB 18 Dillon Stowers works off a block for a tackle of RB 22 Dillon Wade
Fourth Quarter – In the final stanza, QB 7 Lane scored from the one yardline and then found RB 26 Cade Wycoff in the endzone for the two point play to make it 24-16 with 9:42 left in the contest.
RB 26 Cade Wycoff catches a 2-point pass
Liberty Christian had fought back to a one score ball game. The Bulldogs next drive would be ended by another interception by FS 1 Peery, but Botetourt would give it right back on a bad snap, fumbled hand off inside the Cavalier five.
LCA would push that in across the goal line with 5:13 left on a wild play with a good Bulldog result. On first down at the four, RB 26 Wycoff took the handoff up the middle but was immediately caught around the legs.
Bulldog QB 7 Davis Lane scores on a lateral from RB 26 Cade Wycoff
Rather then just go down, the heady Senior flipped the ball back to QB 7 Lane who promptly took it around the right end for the score. Lane’s 2 point pass but Cavalier Safety 1 Sammy Peery batted the pass away and Botetourt’s 
lead stood at 24-22. LCA would get the ball back at midfield with three and a half minutes left in the game. Botetourt’s defense was up to this last challenge. DE 9 Xavier Stephens brought RB 26 Wycoff down for a four yard loss on third down and then on fourth down the Bulldog screen pass back to QB 7 Lane fell incomplete. From there the Cavaliers were able to run out the rest of clock and breathe a sigh of relief. Coach Harless thought the game was a real battle,“A great game. This is what championship football looks like.”
LCA Coach Frank Rocco and Botetourt Coach Jamie Harless shake hands at the game’s end
LCA’s season stops one game short of the state championship game. The Bulldog’s have a lot of experience and talent returning in the fall. Botetourt Coach Harless remarked as much, “the roster they (LCA) have coming back next year is going to be a grizzly bear for someone to deal with next year.”
For Lord Botetourt’s part they now must prepare for a very good Lafayette Ram team and the Wing-T offense. The 3A State Championship game will be next Saturday in Williamsburg at Wanner Field.
Lord Botetourt QB 7 K.J. Bratton celebrates after the win
