HRFT 2023 - Playoffs - Virginia - Class 4 Region A - Finals - #3 Warwick at #1 Maury

Maury dominates on both sides of the ball, beats Warwick to win sixth straight region title.
NORFOLK - All week long, Maury coaches and players heard about how great Warwick’s defense was, and how the Commodores hadn’t faced a defense quite like the Raiders’, which had allowed just three touchdowns this season.
Maury players took exception to that: Warwick had not seen an offense like theirs.
The Commodores quieted all of the naysayers Friday as they rolled to a 48-20 victory at Powhatan Field to win the Class 5 Region B championship. Maury, winner of six consecutive region titles, will host Indian River, which beat Green Run, at 2 p.m. next Saturday in a state semifinal at Powhatan Field.
Maury coach Dyrri McCain said he didn’t pay much attention to the social media talk earlier in the week. It was only when he heard his players feel disrespected that he reacted.
“I’m a competitor, but I don’t get riled up,” he said. “But my kids were coming up to me saying, ‘Coach, they’re kind of disrespecting what we’ve done and what we do.’ So that kind of gave them that fire.”
Warwick won the Class 4 Region A championship last season but moved up to Class 5 this school year.
Maury received the opening kickoff, and after a 35-yard kickoff return by Damari Palmer, went right to work. Before fans got comfortable in their seats, the Commodores were in the end zone when quarterback Au’Tori Newkirk threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to LeBron Bond for an early 7-0 lead.
“That brought energy to our team and our fans, which kept us going throughout the game,” Newkirk said about the quick score.
But Warwick kept it close, thanks to a blocked punt that gave the Raiders the ball on the Maury 14. One play later, Warwick quarterback Eduardo Rios Jr. threw a touchdown pass to Dakota Brodus The extra point failed and Maury led 7-6.
Warwick, which had given up just 36 total points prior to the game, gave up 41 first-half points and was forced to play with a running clock in the third quarter as the Commodores dominated on both sides of the ball.
“I think that’s an underrated thing about us,” McCain said about his defense. “People talk a lot about Warwick’s defense and about other teams’ offense, but I think we’re equally as good on defense as we are on offense. Now we have to take care of next week to get to our ultimate goal (state title). But if we play this team ball that we played today, I’m pretty sure we’ll be fine.”
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Newkirk wasn’t done. He scored on a 25-yard touchdown run to give Maury a 14-6 lead and then followed that with another touchdown pass for a 21-6 lead.
Maury’s defense also answered the challenge as the Commodores held the Raiders scoreless for the rest of the half.
“All week I told my guys that we have to make a point and take them out of the game early,” said Maury defensive coordinator Mike Privott. “Our defense is one of the top in the state. We came out and played aggressive and stuck to the game plan and made plays when we needed to.”
The offense piled it on as Newkirk threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Moss.
After another Warwick punt, Leon Clark scored on a 4-yard touchdown run. Then after a fumble, Newkirk added a 47-yard touchdown pass to Josh Powell.