Division 2 Region C Championship
Appomattox hangs on to beat Glenvar 38-33 in regional finals
Glenvar HS, Roanoke County, VA – With each game in the post-season one team survives and another team’s story ends. The losing side always has a choice to go out quietly, or scrap until the last second. Glenvar is the latter. This year’s regional championship pitted the Highlanders against the Appomattox Raiders, again. Coming into this one, the Raiders had ended the Highlanders’ season the past six seasons. This time, it took everything the Raiders had, and a record-breaking TD, to earn the regional championship. Early in the second quarter, Appomattox had their backs to their end zone with the ball spotted inside the one yard-line. The play went to RB 4 Jonathan Pennix and the senior exploded out of the backfield, losing the Highlander “D” around the 30 yard line. Ninety nine and a half yards later, the Raiders were up 10-3. That set a new longest TD from a set play in the books. In the first half, it was tit for tat. Glenvar responded to the long TD immediately. On the kick-off, RB/DB 1 Jackson Swanson weaved through the field, stringing together a 90-yard kick-off return to tie the game. In the second half, Appomattox punched in a TD while Glenvar settled for K 28 Tyler Pierce field goals. The senior had a stat packed night, making all four FG’s in as many attempts, but three points is less than seven resulting in a four point hole for the Highlanders toward the end of the fourth. With the Raiders up 38-34, the Highlander defense stopped the ‘Appy’ cold with a minute left. The stage was set for Swanson again, as the Senior dropped back to receive the boot. The kick was up, and everything seemed perfect as “Number 1” hauled it in and sped down the home sideline for what appeared to be a game winning TD return. But alas, the Highlanders were flagged for a block in the back. Swanson was hoping the TD run was clean, “Every time there’s a kick return there’s always going to be a flag somewhere, it’s just whether or not they call it . I was thinking please don’t let there be a flag, but that’s the way it is sometimes. We worked hard, played hard, and had fun out there.” – Graham Whitaker
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