It couldn’t have come at a worse time for Western Albemarle.
“Flat out we just didn’t play well,” said Western coach Ed Redmond. “I hadn’t seen that all year from our guys and it was just one of those nights. We just didn’t do what we needed to do.”
Against a fast, physical Magna Vista squad, Western needed to play one of its best games to survive and advance and instead the Warriors perhaps played their worst, turning the ball over seven times including five interceptions in a 42-14 defeat in the 3A West Region second round.
“Our defensive backs have played really well all year,” said Magna Vista coach Joe Favero. “We thought we could really come out and use our speed and put some pressure on the quarterback and hopefully get our hands on some of the passes we were going to throw.”
Favero’s squad made a big play nearly every time they had to have one, including an 88-yard touchdown sprint by Bryce Hankins that snuffed out a potential run by Western.
“I think it was a huge play,” Favero said. “We’ve run that play a number of times at the end of the half to try and get Bryce out in space where people might play a little cover four prevent and once he gets into space he’s just a problem.”
Nothing went right for the Warriors from the start though, as an interception by Magna Vista’s Jalen Hairston swung the momentum toward the Ridgeway contingent early. Hairston’s pick set up a 17-yard touchdown sprint by Shoalin McGuire that put Magna Vista up 7-0 just 30 seconds into the game. The turnovers kept piling up for Western during that first half, but Magna Vista left the door open when they failed to capitalize and only held a 14-0 lead. Western’s first attempt to swing the momentum came after a Tre Banks touchdown catch that preceded a recovered onsides kick attempt with 24 seconds left in the half that gave Western the ball and a shot at tying the game with a touchdown if they could race downfield. But the momentum ended on another interception on a deep ball that Magna Vista followed up with Hankins’ 88-yard sprint.
Western didn’t go away easily though, even when Magna Vista quickly scored to push the lead to 28-7 at the start of the third quarter, answering when Kent Henry hit Steven Hearn for a touchdown midway through the third. Then, on a drive that got a big boost from a Burks Summers catch that went for 27 yards, Henry appeared to find Hearn again in the front right corner of the endzone wide open. Hearn, by all accounts, caught the ball, but seemed to toss it out in excitement as he hit the ground, causing the official near the front pylon to rule the ball incomplete despite the fact that he’d caught it and crossed the plane of the goal line.
“We fought ourselves back into it and then we just had that tough play in the end zone with Hearn,” Redmond said. “Who knows if that’s a catch where we would’ve from there but I’m not a should’ve, would’ve, could’ve guy. It went incomplete and that’s (football).”
Magna Vista sensed that the momentum was shifting there too.
“Luckily we got a break down there at the goal line,” Favero said.
On the next play, Magna Vista made another pick and extended their lead to 35-14 a few minutes later to essentially put it out of reach for Western.
McGuire played nearly mistake free football for Magna Vista, going 10 for 15 for 132 yards on the night while rushing for a pair of touchdowns. Magna Vista played with a short field much of the first half, and when they did get pinned back, Hankins ripped off his incredible sprint.
Henry finished 17 of 37 for 188 yards and two touchdowns, but his five interceptions in the face of intense defensive pressure by Magna Vista’s that was all over Henry from the snap, particularly in the first half. Hearn finished with five catches for 72 yards and a touchdown and Summers checked in with five catches for 65 yards. The Warriors managed just 36 yards rushing as Magna Vista completely locked down the ground game.
It was a frustrating finish to a fantastic season for the squad from Crozet that won 10 games for the second straight season, and fell for the second straight time in the second round of the playoffs.
“We’ll miss those 22 seniors,” Redmond said. “They did a lot for this football program.”
