Camden Simmons scored a pair of touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 33 seconds to go as the Riverbend High School football team defeated North Stafford 28-21 on Friday night.
It was a milestone victory for the host Bears, who clinched the Commonwealth District championship outright and finished the regular season 10-0 — both firsts in program history.
Simmons’ 13-yard touchdown run was the exclamation point in a seesaw affair. He also found the end zone on a 34-yard scoring pass from Ian Shook Jr. that tied the score at 14 midway through the third quarter.
The contest was tied at 7 at halftime. Amare Johnson’s 3-yard scamper gave Riverbend (10-0, 6-0 Commonwealth) an early advantage, but Alon Lester scored from a yard out to knot things up for the Wolverines (7-3, 4-2) with 5:36 remaining in the opening period.
Lester’s second touchdown of the night, a 2-yard plunge, gave North its only lead of the game, 14-7, midway through the third quarter.
After Shook Jr. hooked up with Simmons to tie it at 14, the Bears went up 21-14 on Adrien Picot’s 14-yard run with 8:36 left to play.
Picot ran for a game-high 121 yards on 16 carries.
The Wolverines pulled even for the final time on Chase Sullivan’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Antwan Barnes with 3 minutes to go.
Sullivan completed 10 of 20 passes for 116 yards and also threw an interception.
Both squads are set for playoff action. Riverbend has earned a first-round bye in the Region 5D playoffs and will play a home game in the regional semifinals in two weeks. North Stafford will entertain Independence in the Region 6B quarterfinals next Friday.
Colonial Forge 55, Massaponax 14
Brock Brimhall accounted for four touchdowns as the Eagles cruised past the visiting Panthers to wrap up the regular season.
Brimhall completed 12 of 15 passes for 205 yards and three scores and tacked on a 7-yard touchdown run.
TaySean Jones hauled in two of Brimhall’s scoring strikes, from 14 and 17 yards, and returned an interception 25 yards for another touchdown.
Torie Martin had 53 yards and two scores rushing on just three carries, while Jaylen Carter added 53 yards and a touchdown on four attempts.
Darion Majeed paced Forge’s receiving corps with four catches for 107 yards, and Jeremiah Wise caught a 14-yard scoring pass.
Massaponax got 67 yards rushing from Keion Jenkins and 63 from Joe Sanders III. Kenneth Pyatt had a 7-yard touchdown run, while A.J. Kay scored on a 1-yard plunge.
Colonial Forge (9-1, 5-1 Commonwealth) will host Gar-Field in the opening round of the Region 6B playoffs next Friday. Massaponax (4-6, 2-4) fell one spot shy of a berth in the Region 5D playoffs.
Courtland 42, James Monroe 20
The Cougars clinched their first Battlefield District championship since 2015 with a road victory over the Yellow Jackets.
Tyrik Newman rushed for a game-high 157 yards on 21 carries for Courtland (9-1, 7-0 Battlefield). E.J. Flemming added 82 yards and a touchdown on nine carries; Josiah Patty had 52 yards and a score on four attempts; and Grayson Larch chipped in 30 yards and a touchdown on five carries.
Cougars quarterback Chieftain Watson threw a 19-yard scoring strike to Ahmari Boxley and also ran the ball four times for 47 yards and a touchdown.
James Monroe (5-5, 3-4) got a big night through the air from quarterback Ryan Wolfenbarger, who connected on 21 of 47 passes for 234 yards and three scores. Oneil Oussantidja was on the receiving end of all three and finished with seven receptions for 71 yards. Jordon Juggins added five catches for 87 yards.
Both teams have advanced to the playoffs. Courtland will hit the road to play Varina in the Region 4B quarterfinals next Friday. James Monroe will host Brentsville in the opening round of the Region 3B playoffs the same night.
Culpeper 21, Caroline 6
The Cavaliers fell behind 21-0 to the host Blue Devils and couldn’t recover in a Battlefield District loss.
Caroline (8-2, 5-2 Battlefield) got a 24-yard touchdown pass from Rashawn Rollins to Blake Morris. But the Cavaliers threw four interceptions in the contest—three by Morris and one by Rollins. One of those was returned 36 yards for a score by Culpeper’s Mason Elkins.
Treshawn Berryman and Tre Coles recorded one interception apiece for the visitors.
Caroline will open the Region 4B playoffs with a road matchup at Louisa next Friday.
Spotsylvania 42, Eastern View 14
The visiting Knights ran wild on the ground in a Battlefield District blowout over the Cyclones.
Cam Puller rushed for 218 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries, and Colton Jones racked up 136 yards and a score on 16 attempts.
Not to be outdone, Hudson Callahan caught three passes for 78 yards and a touchdown and returned a kickoff 85 yards for another score.
Spotsylvania (7-3, 5-2 Battlefield) will play at Huguenot in the Region 4B quarterfinals next Friday.
Other scores
Brooke Point 21, Stafford 7
Chancellor 16, King George 15
