Brookville stings Rockbridge County 57-12 in the first round of the playoffs
John “Bunker” Hill Field, Stinger Stadium – The Brookville Bees and Rockbridge County Wildcats squared off in the first round of the Region 3C playoffs on Friday night in Lynchburg. This game was a rematch from the 2019 playoffs in which Rockbridge knocked Brookville out. Immediately, it looked as if Rockbridge had put on those same pair of boxing gloves as they threw a mighty first punch (a TD pass) on the first play from scrimmage. It’s not the start Brookville Head Coach Jon Meeks was looking for, “That’s not how you want to start, but I loved the way my guys responded.” 
Respond is exactly what the Bees did swarming the Wildcats with an offensive showcase totaling 537 total yards and a commanding 57-12 opening round win. The Bees were highlighted by RB 28 Tayshaun Butler’s 216 yards on 12 carries and 4 touchdowns, as well as two plays from team favorites, OL 67 Matthew Parker and K 24 Bryson Meeks. Next up, Brookville faces “Timberlake Road foe” Heritage and that should fire up the fan base in next Friday’s second round of the playoffs. Meeks talked about the rematch, an 2 OT game won by Heritage earlier this season, “(Heritage) Well coached team, athletes everywhere. We played them earlier in the year, double overtime. One of the best, most physical, awesome high school football games I’ve ever been a part of.”
First Quarter – Rockbridge, dressed in clean white helmets, tops with popping blue numbers, and gray bottoms, won the coin toss and elected to receive. Immediately, they came out swinging scoring on a 60-yard touchdown pass from QB 7 Jay Miller to WR 8 Owens Keswick. The extra point was no good and before some fans could find their seats Rockbridge led 6-0 with 14:46 remaining in the first.
However, football is a game of 60 minutes, and one play does not always define you, Brookville showed that as they calmly worked down the field on their opening possession pounding the rock highlight by runs of 23,15 and 8 yards the latter resulting in a touchdown from RB 28 Tayshaun Butler. Brookville converted their extra point and took the lead 7-6 with 9:13 remaining in the first quarter.
Brookville RB 28 Tayshaun Butler crosses the goal line
Brookville’s defense would stand up and help the team on the next couple of Rockbridge possessions. First, forcing a turnover on downs after the Wildcats was stringing together a threatening drive but the Bees defense gave the ball back to their offense which capitalized. This time through the air on a 35-yard touchdown pass from QB 7 Drake McDaniel to WR 9 Stephen Preston to but the Bees up 14-6 with 2:26 remaining in the first. 
The second strong defensive outing in the first quarter from the Bees saw them force a quick ‘3 and out’ forcing the Wildcats to punt the ball back to the red-hot Brookville offense. Once again, RB 28 Tayshaun Butler showed why Coach Meeks said following the game “You don’t get many Tayshaun Butlers.” This time he went 64-yards on the house call to extend the score to 21-6. Rockbridge continued to keep attacking Brookville as the first quarter ended with the Wildcats deep in Bee’s territory looking to make it a one-score game again.
Brookville DL 10 Addison Ellis puts pressure on Wildcat QB 7 Miller Jay
Brookville’s defense rises to the task
Second Quarter –
As the quarter began Rockbridge drove into the red zone and had their sights on scoring but Drake McDaniel had different plans. McDaniel would intercept Rockbridge QB 7 Miller Jay in the back of the end zone and return it 67-yards before being forced out of bounds at the Rockbridge forty-three-yard line. He would hype the home crowd up as he faced them on the track and have the fans so loud the bleachers shook. As Brookville took the field on offense again that interception had the feeling of Brookville’s version of a knockout punch. RB 28 Tayshaun Butler would once again run it in from 20 yards out and the Bees would take a commanding 28-6 lead into halftime.
Second Half – The second half began with both teams playing solid defense forcing each team to punt a couple of times, but Brookville couldn’t be held out of the end zone as they scored on plays 33, 53, 52, and 5 yards in the second half but the two biggest highlights from the second half weren’t touchdowns rather they were a kick-off and two-point conversion.
Bee DB 9 Stephen Preston defends
The first came at the 6:38 mark of the third quarter when Coach Meeks son, Bryson, came into the game for a kickoff. Bryson, who was wearing No. 24, has autism and in a special moment for the Meeks family, Bryson had the opportunity to kick-off to Rockbridge. Coach Meeks had this to say regarding the kick. “It was pretty cool to see him get that kick in.” The second special moment for the team came following a 52-yard touchdown pass from QB 7 Drake McDaniel to WR 21 Alfonzo Jennings, instead of sending the kicking unit out Coach Meeks sent OL 67 Matthew Parker, a senior, who came out for the football team this year. Parker is known for the hard work that he has put in this year and his coaches and teammates wanted to reward him for that. Parker was rewarded as he punched it in for the 2-point conversion to make the score 50-6. Coach Meeks had this to say about Parker “He’s earned the right to get in and get a play. We’ve been trying to get him the ball for a while, and he scored. I think he’s the happiest kid out here.” Rockbridge would score a late touchdown as would Brookville making the final score 57-12 ending Rockbridge’s season. With the win, Brookville is set for a rematch of one of the best regular-season games from the 2021 season against Heritage next Friday night at City Stadium. – Josiah Elmore
Bees swarm to get win
Offense:
• Rushing– Brookville – Tayshaun Butler 12/216, 4TD, Drake McDaniel 8/135, TD, Silas Rucker 5/20 Rockbridge County – Andreas Poindexter 6/33
• Passing– Brookville– Drake McDaniel 4/9, 136, 2TD, Lincoln Hunley 1/1, 5 Rockbridge County– Miller Jay 22/41, 218, 2 TD, 2 INT
• Receiving– Brookville– Alonzo Jennings 2/96, TD, Stephen Preston 1/35, TD, Benjamin Bennett 1/5, TD Rockbridge County – Keswick Owens 9/74, TD, Isaiah Williams 6/73, Joshua Wright 3/35, TD, Turner Cook 3/26
• Punting– Brookville– Vance Steele 4-35.3 avg. Rockbridge County – Phillip Radford 4-35.8
Scoring:
1st Qtr
• Rockbridge Co: K. Owens 65-yard TD pass from M. Jay, PAT No good (14:46)
• Brookville: T. Butler 8-yard rushing TD, J. Ayers PAT (9:13)
• Brookville: S. Preston 35-yard TD pass from D. McDaniel, J. Ayers PAT (2:26)
• Brookville: T. Butler 64-yard rushing TD, J. Ayers PAT (1:13)
2nd Qtr
• Brookville: T. Butler 20-yard rushing TD, J. Ayers PAT (10:43)
3rd Qtr
• Brookville: D. McDaniel 33-yard rushing TD, J. Ayers PAT (10:23)
• Brookville: T. Butler 53-yard rushing TD, J. Ayers PAT (6:40)
4th Qtr
• Brookville: A. Jennings 52-yard TD pass from D. McDaniel, D. McDaniel 2 point conversion is good (9:34)
• Rockbridge Co: J. Wright 21-yard TD pass from M. Jay, PAT no good (5:26)
• Brookville: B. Bennett 5-yard TD pass from L. Hunley, J. Ayers PAT (3:01)