Looking Ahead to Saturday’s State Championship Matchup
When the Dinwiddie Generals travel to Blacksburg this Saturday to play in the VHSL Division 5 State Championship Game they will meet up with a Phoebus Phantoms football team known both regionally and nationally for two things - their star quarterback and their stellar defense.
Phoebus is coached by Bill Dee, who has been at the school since 1985. The Phantoms advanced to the State Championship Game by defeating defending Division 5 Champs, Stonebridge, 38-8.
Over the past decade Phoebus has established itself as one of the best football programs in the state of Virginia compiling a 104-12 record on the football field since 2000. They’ve won 3 of the last 7 VHSL Divison 5 State Championships. This season, the Phantoms have racked up a 14-0 record while outscoring their opponents by a score of 683-40. They are currently ranked #6 nationally by Rivals.com and #11 nationally in the ESPN.com RISE poll.
This year’s team is led on offense by QB Tajh Boyd. Boyd (6-1 208) is a dual threat at the QB position. He’s verbally committed to attend the University of Tennessee next fall after first committing to West Virginia last season. Boyd’s talents on the field have gotten him national attention, as he is currently the 8th-ranked QB according to ESPN.com’s recruiting index.
Joining Boyd on offense for the Phantoms is HB Shawne Alston. At 5-11 220 pounds, Alston is a powerful back with surprising speed. He ran for 167 yards in the State Semifinal versus Stonebridge. Alston has verbally committed to West Virginia.
While they have some “star” recognition on offense, what the Phantoms are known for this season is their defense. Through 14 games this season, the Phoebus defense has allowed a mere 40 points or 2.9 points per game. The most points a team has scored on Phoebus this season is 13, posted by Gloucester in Week 6 in a 65-13 loss.
The Phoebus defense is led by 6-foot-1 240-pound Dominik Davenport. Davenport plays middle linebacker for the Phantoms, but also occasionally drops down as a defensive lineman as well. Davenport is a big, physical player with excellent speed for a player his size. He will also see some action on offense at fullback. Like Alston, Davenport has also committed to West Virginia.
Dinwiddie head coach Billy Mills will make his first State Championship appearance as coach of the Generals. Mills led the Generals to a 12-1 record this season, following last season’s 9-2 campaign. This is Mills’ 4th season as the Generals head coach.
Dinwiddie advanced to the State Championship game with Playoff wins over Douglas Freeman (38-7), Hanover (34-17), and Liberty (42-21).
Dinwiddie will enter the State Championship showdown with Phoebus led by senior gunslinger Adam Morgan. Morgan has been impressive throwing for 3,247 yards and 46 TDs this season. Morgan is also the Generals leading rusher with 578 yards and 8 TDs. While leading the Generals thru the Playoffs this season, Morgan has broken 3 VHSL career passing records. He now has more completions, passing yards, and passing TDs then any other QB in VHSL history. He also tied the single season record for TD passes last week by tossing his 46th of the year in the 42-21 win over Liberty-Bealeton.
The Generals have a quartet of talented wideouts surrounding Morgan, with seniors Jerrell White, Terron Adams, and Sam Haskins, along with junior speedster Quintaze Jackson. Sophomore RB/WR Chris Hall has also become a weapon as the season has progressed.
Defensively, the Generals are led by senior OLB Bradley Johnson, a University of Maryland commit. Talented DT Corey Marshall has quickly established himself this season as one of the Central Region’s most dominant players despite only being sophomore. MLB Jason Ampy is a talented junior, who is now in his third season of anchoring the Dinwiddie defense.
The Dinwiddie defense has improved each and every week this season, peaking at Playoff time. In the Playoffs, the opportunistic defense has forced 10 turnovers.
The two teams will square off for the VHSL Divsion 5 title this Saturday at Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium in Blacksburg. Kickoff is slated for 12:07 pm.
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