It was far from pretty, but it still went down as a ‘W’. In a game that began under clear, sunny skies and ended in virtual darkness, North Cross picked up its fourth consecutive home victory with a 16-10 win over Virginia Episcopal School last Friday afternoon at Thomas Field.
The matchup, which could be dubbed the ‘Alexander Bowl’ , pitted North Cross Head Coach Stephen Alexander against his father and VES head coach, Kyle Alexander. Stephen’s brother, Danny, was the VES quarterback.
North Cross scored on its first two possessions to take an early 10-0 lead and seemed positioned to take charge. But, Virginia Episcopal fought its way back on the arm of the scrambling and very talented Bishop quarterback. “He makes the big plays,” Stephen Alexander said of his brother. “I told our guys not to go for his fakes.”
VES scored on a 18-yard Alexander pass in the second quarter and a field goal by the quarterback as time expired in the first half in what would prove to be the final scoring of the game. North Cross running back Antoine Martin scored both Raider TDs on 3 and 6-yard runs. Micajah Lacy hit on a 27-yard field goal.
The North Cross defense rose to the occasion in the final half including a stop with under three minutes left inside the Raider 10-yard line. “This was too close,” Stephen Alexander noted in total darkness at midfield after the game. ” They (VES) had a good game plan. Our offense didn’t execute today- it was ugly. But, a win is a win.”
North Cross returns to action this Saturday for a 1:30 Homecoming kickoff against Hargrave Military Academy.
By Bill Turner