Northside completed its season of dreams Saturday afternoon at Liberty University’s Williams Stadium as the Vikings defeated James Monroe 24-10 to win the VHSL Group 3A state football championship.
Northside dominated both sides of the ball, picking up 220 yards on the ground while holding James Monroe to 3 rushing yards on an afternoon that begin with steady sleet and finished in a constant downpour. James Monroe was able to get 208 yards through the air on 18 completions in 36 attempts, but Northside picked off 3 Yellow Jacket passes that thwarted any comeback by JM. Northside never trailed in the game.
James Monroe head coach Rich Serbay was quick to point to the Viking line as the difference. “We just didn’t get it done blocking 77 (Chance Hall) and 62 (DeAnthony Muse), ” Serbay noted. They’re just two good football players. I don’t think the rain bothered us. It was cold out there….but the bottom line was the biggest problem we had was # 62 and # 77.”
Northside head coach Burt Torrence agreed. “The guy that runs the defensive line is DeAnthony Muse. When they’re blocking your nose guard with three guys, that’s pretty good. He’s really the horse that runs the show.”
As an inspired group, motivated on several fronts heading into the contest, Northside departed the Liberty locker room and headed through the inflatable Viking into the persistent sleet.
No problem. The Vikings were on a mission.
After winning the coin toss, James Monroe deferred to the second half and Northside received the opening kickoff. Viking junior Austin Fisher turned the game with a long return into Yellow Jacket territory. Although the opening Northside drive stalled after a pair of penalties, James Monroe went three-and-out on its first possession and the ensuing punt set the Vikings up at their own 38.
Fisher rose to the occasion again, picking up 21 yards on a run around left end. The Vikings later converted on fourth down before quarterback Dominic Dunnaville scored on a keeper from 6 yards out. Zach Large’s point-after put Northside up 7-0 midway through the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter the Vikings drove deep into Yellow Jacket territory after a Rahiim Cunningham 26-yard run set Northside up at the James Monroe 18. The drive stalled, but after a proceedure penalty set the Vikings back five yards, Large booted a 37-yard field goal that barely cleared the crossbar for a 10-0 Northside advantage that held to the halftime break.
James Monroe took the second half kickoff and drove to the Viking 9-yard line. Faced with fourth-and-three, the Yellow Jackets settled for a 26-yard field goal that cut the Northside lead to 10-3 with 9:55 left in the third quarter.
The Vikings responded with a nine play, 65 yard drive culminated by a Dunnaville 9-yard touchdown run that widened the Viking lead to 17-3.
James Monroe made things interesting with a 42-yard touchdown drive in just over 1 1/2 minutes when quarterback Jay Scroggins found Calvin Kennedy open in the back of the Viking end zone with a 12-yard strike that got things to a one possession game at 17-10 with 8:05 left in the fourth quarter.
Northside answered in championship fashion.
Dunnaville converted on third-and-seven from the Viking 22 with a 15-yard completion to Harold Buckner, then took the Vikings downfield on his shoulders with an assortment of runs that ended with his 1-yard dive with 3:22 left , putting the Vikings up 24-10 after Large’s third PAT.
Northside got 2 interceptions in the final 3 minutes by Fisher and junior Jacob Plaster as James Monroe burned its three timeouts in desperation. While taking knees to run out the final minute in the pouring rain, Torrence received an additional Gatorade bath as the Viking sideline celebrated.
The win gives Northside its second state title, adding to the hardware won in 2009 under Torrence. The Vikings ended the year 14-1, losing only to Lord Botetourt in overtime in late October.
– Bill Turner
