By David Wagner
The Western Albemarle Varsity Football team advanced to the Virginia High School League 3A state semi-finals with a last-second 33-28 win over Waynesboro High School Nov. 29 in Crozet. For only the second time in school history, the Warriors advanced past the second round of the playoffs.
In the first round, the fifth-seeded Warriors hosted twelfth-seeded Lord Botetourt High School. Falling behind early, the home-standing Warriors rallied for three touchdowns in the first quarter to take a 20-7 lead. Senior tailback Oliver Herndon scored on a 13-yard run and on the next possession junior quarterback Sam Hearn found Henry Kreinenbaum for a 68-yard TD to give the Warriors a 13-7 lead. Five plays later, Western reached the end zone again when sophomore Derek Domecq intercepted a pass and streaked down the right sideline.
Western cruised in the second half with Herndon scoring his second TD and placekicker Holland Corbett adding a 23-yard field goal to give the Warriors a 37-13 win.
The Warriors faced thirteenth-seeded Christiansburg High School in the second round. Christiansburg had upset the fourth seed Heritage High School.
Western scored on their first possession of the game. Hearn found Kreinenbaum for a 39-yard touchdown pass. Following a Christainsburg touchdown, the Warriors scored again quickly and went ahead 14-7.
The Western defense forced Christiansburg to punt, but the kick was downed at the Western Albemarle 2 yard line. The Warriors then took control of the game. Hearn took nearly five minutes off the clock before throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Travis Daly. The Warriors added another touchdown on an 18-yard scamper by Hearn.
Coming out from halftime, Christiansburg wasted no time getting back in the game. They scored quickly on a five-play drive and then recovered a Warrior fumble and in just five plays scored again.
The game turned into a defensive struggle. The next five possessions ended with punts. With just 4:10 to play in the game, Christiansburg had to go 85 yards for the tie or win. In just two plays they were at the Warrior 26 yard line. Four plays later they faced fourth and inches at the Western 5 yard line. But CHS got a costly penalty of their own. Then Osiris Crutchfield made a huge play, sacking the CHS quarterback at the 19-yard line. On fourth down and goal, Christiansburg had to pass. It fell incomplete.
Hearn was the player of the game for the Warriors. He accounted four touchdowns, passing for 187 yards and rushing for 78 yards on 9 carries. The Warrior defense kept CHS off of the scoreboard the last quarter and secured the win with the big stop at the end of the game.
The win put the Warriors into the third round, the state quarterfinals, for the first time in 35 years.
Playing at home again, Western Albemarle faced a Waynesboro Little Giants team they had beaten early in the season, 33-22. The sixteenth-seeded Little Giants had pulled off two upsets en route to the quarterfinals, knocking off top seed Hidden Valley and eighth seed Broadway. The Little Giants were led by quarterback Chris Baker, who was big, tough and hard to bring down.
Waynesboro took a 7-0 lead after the Warriors failed to convert a fourth and inches near midfield. Baker threw three touchdown passes in the first half and Waynesboro seemed poised to pull off a third upset.
But the Warriors didn’t quit. With 59 seconds to go in the first half, Hearn ran for 29 yards to the Waynesboro 16 yard line. Two plays later Hearn connected with Herndon on a short pass to the 4 yard line. Hearn then rolled right, couldn’t find an open receiver and ran for a touchdown as time expired. The Warriors were fortunate to only be down 21-14.
Western’s onside kick off to start the second half caught the Little Giants sleeping. Corbett recovered his own kick and the Warriors had the ball at Waynesboro’s 46 yard line. But Waynesboro’s defense forced Western to punt four plays later.
Baker led the Little Giants down the field again and six plays later Waynesboro went up 28-14. The teams then traded punts. Taking over at their own 33-yard line, the Warriors scored as Kreinenbaum caught passes on back-to-back plays, the second one a 49-yard TD. He caught it over a Waynesboro defender and broke several tackles to reach the end zone.
Western’s forced a punt and marched 63 yards for another touchdown, running behind an offensive line that took control of the game. But Waynesboro blocked the extra point and held on to the lead.
The Little Giants next methodically moved the ball downfield behind strong running. On fourth and six at the Warrior 34, Baker dropped back to pass. Crutchfield came up with another huge play, sacking Baker for a 13-yard loss and giving the ball back to the Warriors.
Western started at their own 47-yard line with 4:08 to play. The offensive line continued to create running lanes for Herndon. Then Waynesboro committed back-to-back penalties inside the five yard line.Herndon punched the ball in, capping off the 11-play, game-winning drive.
Along with the 3 TDs, Herndon carried the ball 395 rushing yards in the three games. Hearn amassed 677 total yards of offense (241 rushing, 436 passing) and 8 total touchdowns (4 rushing, 4 passing) in the playoffs. Kreinenbaum caught a TD pass in all three wins.
The Warriors travel to Williamsburg Saturday, December 6, to play Lafayette High School in the state semi-finals. Game time is 2 p.m.
