Patrick Henry wins the City Crown with a 32-28 come from behind victory
Merrill Gainer Field, Roanoke, Va – In a back and forth affair, with the Noel C. Taylor City trophy on the line, Patrick Henry and William Fleming did not disappoint. In a game that could have easily gone either way, the Patriots got it done when they needed to for the win. Patriot Head Coach Alan Fiddler felt like his team got off to a rough start, but recovered to beat their city rival. “We came out in the first half and tried to make every mistake you could make. Once we settled down, we got going, and the kids started making plays. Fortunately we made one more play then they did.” One more play was about right. PH scored with no time on the clock at the end of the first half on a toss from QB 12 Joey Beasley to WR 2 Carmelo Taylor to pull to within 14-12. 
From there the Pats outscored the Colonels by six points in the second half to get the ‘W.’ Sophomore 5 Chuck Webb was a big part of that turnaround, especially at the start of the second half. The big back handled the ball 12 of the first 15 plays for the Patriots to start the third quarter, before leaving with a leg injury. He finished his day with 126 yards on 21 carries and a score. Senior WR/DB 1Taeshaun Webb made his presence felt as well with a 78-yard TD in the third quarter. On the Fleming side, everything runs through QB 2 Dashawn Lewis. Lewis rushed for 51 yards and threw for 151 and two scores to keep Fleming ahead for most of the day. His two favorite targets, WR 4 Louis English and 7 Jacob Henderson finished with 10 catches and 119 yards between them.
The Patrick Henry student section makes themselves hard
The Fleming Cheerleaders give it all they have
First Quarter – PH-Fleming games are famous for their close, hard hitting affairs. Many of the players know each other well. They grew up playing against each other. This battle proved no different. Both teams punted on their first possessions, and Fleming forced a second punt on PH’s second possession, but a muffed punt and run came up short and gave the Colonels the ball at the PH thirty. It took only five plays for RB 3 Nashon Bonds to find the end zone on a three yard run. K 36 Abraham Yonda made it 7-0 with the PAT at the 1:56 mark.
Fleming RB Nahshon Bonds starts the scoring
A big play in short drive was a heads up fumble recovery by Fleming OL 76 Jabrazhion Bell. PH had stripped it from Colonel QB Dashawn Lewis, but Bell pounced on it. the
Second Quarter – The home team answered the bell early in the second with a scoring series of their own. A big pass and a big run covered most of the yards on the drive. Staring at a third and six their own twenty four, QB 12 Joey Beasley found WR 2 Carmelo Taylor for a 40-yard toss and run to the Fleming thirty-six. On the very next play, RB 5 Chuck Webb bolted over the right side and took it in to set up a tying point after. The Patriots lined up to kick, but Fleming jumped offsides. That moved the ball to the two. Another offsides infraction on the kick attempt, pushed the ball closer to the one. At the range, PH Head Coach changed gears and sent his offense back on the field for a two point try and the lead. Unfortunately for the PH faithful, the snap was bobbled and Colonels pounced. That failed attempt left the Colonels with a 7-6 lead three minutes in to the second quarter. In a game of odds, sometimes what appears to be a gift can jump up and bite you.
Patriot QB 12 Joey Beasley throws a dart
to
Fleming looked to answer and kept the ball for nine plays and a good part of the second, but LB 3 Isiah Robinson made the fourth down tackle for a loss on QB 2 Lewis to deny the Colonels
Fleming QB 2 Dashaun Lewis can beat you with his legs or his arm
another scoring opportunity at the Patriot thirty-five. The Fleming defense stepped on on the next PH series, forcing a three and out and setting up the visitors for another run at the end zone. 
This time they wouldn’t be denied. QB 2 Lewis capped off the fifty eight yard drive with a 22-yard pass to WR 7 Jacob Henderson for the score with only a 1:23 left in the first half. K 36 Yonda’s kick made it 14-6.
But PH wasn’t done. Their next drive wasn’t fruitful and they had to punt it back, but their defense would get the ball back on fumble and recovery. Sophomore DE 34 Troy Brown knocked the ball out and DL 55 Thomas Fowler recovered it at the Fleming thirty-seven with :14 left. QB 12 Beasley hit WR 9 for eighteen quick yards down to the nineteen leaving :07 before intermission. After a Fleming penalty and an incompletion, Beasley dropped back, stepped up and found WR 2 Taylor in the end zone under the goal post for the scoring toss with no time left on the clock. The two point try to tie it up failed. Fleming’s lead was now 14-12.
PH WR 7 Jacob Henderson gets loose for a score in the third quarter
Third Quarter – Fleming received the second half kick and looked like Coach Jamar Lovelace had refocused his team on their mission. They moved the ball, mostly on the ground deep into Patriot territory, but RB 3 Nahshon Bonds, fighting for more yardage, relinquished the ball and DB 2 Taylor recovered. The Junior playmaker has a real nose for the ball and is one of those guys that always seems to be around the football. It took PH only three plays to tilt the scoreboard in their favor. QB 12 Beasley hit WR 2 Taeshaun Webb on a 78-yard catch and run with 8:12 on the clock.
Taeshaun Webb puts on the after burners in a 78-yard TD catch and run
Again the two point try failed, but PH had the lead, 18-14. Much to Fleming’s credit, they responded. The Colonel coaching staff has built a resilience in their team that doesn’t allow for any quit. After a 10-yard return by WR/DB 3 Bonds to the forty, the Colonels were back on the move. Ten plays later, they had the lead again. Bonds, redeeming himself for the earlier miscue, finished off the series with a one yard dive.
WR 7 Jacob Henderson avoids tacklers on a big gain
A 12-yard catch by WR 7 Henderson set up the Colonels at the one. K 36 Yonda stayed perfect with the PAT kick and Fleming was back up 21-18.
In what was now a see-saw affair, PH roared back. Placing their bets on their Sophomore RB 5 Chuck Webb, Coach Alan Fiddler orchestrated a ‘go ahead’ drive. Webb carried the ball five straight times for 33-yards to the Fleming thirty. From there, playmaker WR/DB 2 Taylor took it in on a – stop and start, cut back, and then turn the burners on – run for the score. K 29 Sam Dowdy punched through the PAT and PH had reclaimed the lead 25-21.
Fourth Quarter – But if you thought this one was over, you were in for a rude awakening. Fleming bounced right back with another scoring drive. Covering seventy yards, the Colonels let QB 2 Lewis do his thing. The Senior signal caller hit WR 4 Louis English for a 25-yard scoring toss
WR 4 Louis English catches a TD to put Fleming back up in the fourth
with 10:02 left in the game. K 36 Yonda’s kick made it a three point game, 28-25.
In this contest, you knew it was going to come down to either who had the ball last or who could get a stop. Patrick Henry put together an 89-yard drive to put them back on top. The fifteen play march, started with RB 5 Webb picking up 30 yards on five carries. From there QB 12
Patrick Henry Head Coach Alan Fiddler contemplates his next move
Beasley went to the air complete three big passes for 21, 16, and 25 yards. The first was a short toss and run to RB 5 Webb, but the Sophomore was hurt on the play and had to leave the game. The next two toss were to WR 4 Dallas Serfass and WR 2 Taylor respectively. PH has so many
Carmelo Taylor scored three TDs on the afternoon, including the is catch, to lead the Pats
weapons out in space that it’s hard to keep track. WR 2 Taylor finished off the nearly six minute drive with a 12-yard TD catch from QB 12 Beasley at the 4:11 mark. K 29 Dowdy made the point after count and PH had switched the lead again, 32-28. Fleming had one more chance to win it in the end, but the game ended with three straight incompletions at midfield. The last one coming on fourth down.
The game was entertaining for a packed house at Merrill Gainer Field. On a sunny day that was competing with VT at WVU on TV it was great to see the Roanoke City faithful turning out in numbers to support their teams. Look for both of these teams to make some noise the rest of the way. Coach Fiddler was pleased with the win, and happy with the environment, “It was a great high school football game. Both communities came out on both sides, and both teams put it all out there on the line. That’s what high school football is all about.”
Offense:
Rushing– Patrick Henry – C Webb 21/126, TD, Taylor 4/48, 2TDs, Alonzo 4/32, Hunter 1/8, Beasley 1/2, Kahoun 1/1, Team 2/(-10) William Fleming– Bonds 15/98, 2TDs, Jones 11/58, Lewis 17/51, Henderson 1/7
Passing– Patrick Henry– Beasley 9/17, 167, 2TDs, Taylor 0/1 William Fleming – Lewis 16/24, 151, 2TDs
Receiving–Patrick Henry– Taylor 4/92, TD, T Webb 1/78, TD, C Webb 2/24, Kahoun 1/18, Serfass 1/16 William Fleming– English 7/59, TD, Henderson 3/60, TD, J Robinson 2/18, Jordan-Nesbit 1/7, D Johnson 1/6, M Jones 2/0
Punting– Patrick Henry– Serfass 4/26 yd avg William Fleming– Henderson 1/31 yds, Yonda 1/28 yds
Returns– Patrick Henry– Serfass 1/12 William Fleming– Bonds 2/29, English 2/21
Defense:
Patrick Henry – Isiah Robinson 11 Tkls, Sack, 2 TFLs, Zavion Smith 10 Tkls, Jahzae Kimbrough 7 Tkls, TFL, Carmelo Taylor 6 Tkls, Rec Fmb, John Penn 5 Tkls, Bodie Kahoun 4 Tkls, Troy Brown 3 Tkls, Sack, 2 TFL, Csd Fmb, Taeshaun Webb 3 Tkls, Dallas Serfass 2 Tkls, John-Paul Prusakowski Tkl, Narmereon Hunter Tkl, Jerry Watkins Tkl
William Fleming – Jamie Penn 9 Tkls, Jacob Henderson 7 Tks, TFL, Nahshon Bonds 6 Tkls, TFL, Kyah Jordan-Nesbit 5 Tkls, Jelani Johns 4 Tkls, Jayden Bulow 4 Tkls, Devin Johnson 4 Tkls, Zackary Young 3 Tkls, Jackson Reed 3 Tkls, Jordan Philpott Tkl, Jailen Robinson Tkl
Scoring:
First Quarter –
William Fleming: Bonds 3-yd TD run; Yonda PAT (1:56)
Second Quarter –
Patrick Henry: C Webb 36-yd TD run; 2-pt try no good (8:55)
William Fleming: Henderson 22-yd TD pass from D. Lewis; Yonda PAT (1:23)
Patrick Henry: Taylor 14-yd TD pass from Beasley; 2-pt try no good (0:00)
Third Quarter –
Patrick Henry: T Webb 78-yd TD pass from Beasley; 2-pt try no good (8:12)
William Fleming: Bonds 1-yd TD run; Yonda PAT (3:36)
Patrick Henry: Taylor 30-yd TD run; Dowdy PAT (0:32)
Fourth Quarter –
William Fleming: English 25-yd TD pass from Lewis; Yonda PAT (10:02)
Patrick Henry: Taylor 12-yd TD run; Dowdy PAT (4:11)