The Crunch NRV Area didn’t have a team qualify for the state semi finals. Below is the Salem vs Tuscarora State Semi Final
Salem beats Tuscarora, on to 4A state finals
Willis White Field, Spartans Stadium, Salem, Va. – Salem, up 21-14, looked to take a knee on fourth down with seconds left and run out the clock for the 4D State Final birth, but a Spartan penality kept Tuscarora alive. When Salem had to punt and Husky DL 56 Matei Fitz blocked it, the visitors still had a chance on the Spartan twenty-three. Salem DB 2 Shawn Collins ended that hope with an interception, his second of the day, in the endzone to preserve the Spartan win. Salem had built up a 21-7 first half lead, then leaned on their defense in the second half. The Spartans ‘D’ played well all day long with four sacks and 
five turnovers on downs by Tuscarora. Salem Coach Don Holter was pleased with his defense, “they played with great intelligence, physicality, and discipline… really stepped up today. I am proud of them.”
Husky DL 56 Matei Fitz blocks a punt late to keep Tuscarora’s hopes alive
First Quarter – Salem received the opening kickoff but couldn’t move the ball to start. Tuscarora, on the other hand, made their first possession count. It took the Huskies ten plays to start the days scoring. Starting at their own thirty-three, mixing in a couple passes and doling out a steady dose of Junior RB 22 Bryce Duke, the visitors scored on Duke’s 28-yard run at the halfway point of the first quarter. Salem adjusted their offense, then their defense. The Spartans answered with a six play scoring drive of their own. RB 42 Zavione Wood capped it off with a 3-yard run to tie it at 7-7 after K 20 Wes Cross hit the extra point. The score would stay notched until Husky QB 7 Sonny Mannino tossed an interception and reversed the momentum and the game. DB 2 Shawn Collins snatched his first of two picks on the day and returned it 31-yards out to the Tuscarora forty-eight.
Salem RB 42 Wood scores his second TD on the day
Salem Linebackers 7 Noah Collins and 42 Zavione Wood bring down Tuscarora RB 22 Bryce Duke
Second Quarter – The Spartans made the Collin’s interception pay off by finishing off the series with an 11-yard TD catch and run by Collins. QB 10 Daron Wilson hit Collins in the flat at about the Tuscarora ten. Collins broke one tackle and then used his running ability to get the touchdown. Cross made the PAT and Salem had a lead, 14-7, they would never relinquish. The Spartan defense played a big part in this win and it was never more evident then when DB/WR/KR 8 Chase Greer fumbled a punt at midfield
under heavy pressure. Tuscarora took over but the Salem defense took charge. RB 22 Duke was limited to a 3-yard pick up on first down. WR 11 Christian Camacho was held to a three yard gain on a second down pass. Facing a third and four, DL 73 Stacy Williams came up with a big sack of QB 7 Mannino for a seven yard loss. That forced Tusky to punt the ball back to Salem after having great field position on the turnover. Riding that high, Salem needed only four plays to move the ball 63 yards for another TD. RB 42 Wood broke it 36-yards to ring the bell. Cross hit the point after and Salem led 21-7 with 2:38 left in the half. Salem held Tuscarora on downs on their last drive of the first half. The Spartan defense would end up holding the Huskies 0-5 on fourth down tries on the afternoon.
Spartan DL 73 Stacy Williams leads the defensive charge on a running play in the second half
Third Quarter – The second half was high dollar risk, as both teams went for it on fourth downs on their drives and failed. Tuscarora went for it twice the traditional way, going for it with their offense on the field. Salem tried a fake punt, their second of the afternoon. The first one worked to perfection.
Fourth Quarter – In the fourth quarter, things got tighter at the end of the game. Tuscarora put together a drive starting from their own thirty six culminating with RB 22 Duke scoring from the two. K 18 Wilmer Salmeron hit the PAT and Salem’s lead was merely a touchdown.
RB 22 Bryce Duke scores to make it 21-14 late
Salem, working the clock and trying to keep the ball away from Tuscarora and RB 22 Duke, kept the ball on the ground for the most part. The one time QB 10 Daron Wilson attempted a fairly safe, short toss to TE/LB 14 Jake Massey, the ball was tipped and Tusky DB 11 Camacho gathered it in and returned it to the Salem thirty seven. But the Salem defense came through, holding the Huskies on downs at the Spartan twenty six.
LB 42 Wood blankets RB 22 Duke on a big play in the game
LB/RB 42 Wood had the blanket coverage on RB 22 Duke that created the fourth down incompletion and gave the ball back to Salem. That set up the crazy ending that had Salem commit a personal foul penalty on fourth down as they took a knee to run out the clock. From there future JMU Duke, Tuscarora DL 56 Fitz blocked the punt and gave Tuscarora one last shot to tie it at the end. Enter Salem’s playmaker, DB/WR 2 Collins.
DB 2 Collins for Salem makes the big interception to end the game
The Spartans will now take their undefeated, 9-0 season, to the State Finals against and undefeated Lake Taylor team. These two teams have some history, splitting their earlier two state championship meetings. Lake Taylor beat Salem in 2014 by a score of 41-16. The next year the two met again with Salem taking the title with a 17-14 in double overtime. – Cap’n Crunch
Salem RB 42 Wood looks to avoid Tusky DL 56 who works free from a double team
Offense:
Rushing – Salem – Wood 21-133, 2TD, Leftwich 12-31
Tuscarora – Duke 24-75, 2TDs, Mannino 9-(-15)
Passing – Salem– Wilson 6/10, 55, TD, INT, Leftwich 0/1
Tuscarora – Mannino 17/37, 247, 2 INTs
Receiving– Salem – Collins 4-23, TD, Jayden McDonald 1-9, Leftwich 1-4, Massey 1-19
Tuscarora – Christian Camancho 8-99, Duke 4-56, Drummond 6-92
Punting– Salem – Leftwich 3-33 yd avg
Tuscarora – Salmeron 2-30 yd avg
Scoring:
First Quarter-
• Tuscarora: Duke 28-yd TD run; Salmeron PAT good
• Salem: Wood 3-yd TD run; Cross PAT good
Second Quarter-
• Salem: Wilson 11-yd TD pass to Collins; Cross PAT good
• Salem: Wood 36-yd TD run; Cross PAT good
Fourth Quarter-
• Tuscarora: Duke 2-yd TD run; Salmeron PAT good
