The sun dipped behind the tree line on the western border of the Dinwiddie High School football field late Saturday afternoon, casting shadows across the Generals’ pristine, ecru-hued turf.
As Coach Billy Mills’ guys celebrated their tougher-than-the-score-might-indicate 70-35 — yes, you read that right — victory over King George in the Class 4B semifinals, the cannon deployed on the track behind the east end zone delivered its ear-jarring report one last time, and the wail of a nearby squad car’s siren filled the crisp, clear air.
A few moments later, as the always-boisterous, forever-faithful home crowd dubbed Navy Nation headed for the gates and the visitors collected their thoughts before boarding their bus, Harry Dalton, Dinwiddie’s senior quarterback, stood near midfield, a smile crossing his expressive face, and spoke of his luminous performance as if it were just another day at the office.
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The 6-2, 210-pound Southern California recruit ran for six touchdowns and threw a 68-yard catch-and-run to Caleb Bowles for another.
He accounted for 473 total yards: 317 rushing on 24 carries and 156 passing on 11 completions in 20 attempts against two interceptions.
Entering the game, Dalton had amassed a combined 7,618 yards and 107 touchdowns throughout his storied career. Even by his lofty standards, his performance against the Foxes (9-3) was a sight to behold.
“Honestly, they just couldn’t stop me,” he said without a hint of braggadocio. “There was a lot of heart involved in all this.”
Early on, the Foxes served notice that they were a force with which to be reckoned.
After stopping Dinwiddie on a three-and-out, King George quarterback Dylan Koch engineered a fast-paced 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 23-yard touchdown reception to Walter Reger.
After running two more ineffective offensive series, the Generals (11-1) forced three first quarter turnovers, converted two of them into touchdowns, and in the process found their footing.
The first touchdown was a 72-yard pick-6, a game-breaker, actually, by junior safety T’Mari Buford at 5:25 of the first quarter, which, with the first of Victor Pacheco’s 10 points-after, tied the score 7-7.
Daiveon Wilson recovered a King George fumble on the ensuing kickoff, setting up a short-field series that ended with Dalton’s first score on a 10-yard run at 3:59.
The Generals held a 28-19 lead at halftime.
A 13-yard scoring pass from Koch to Charles Johnson (followed by a Koch-to-Johnson 2-point conversion) at 8:48 of the third quarter cut Dinwiddie’s lead to 28-27.
That’s when Dalton & Co. went to work and the Generals’ defense tightened its collective grip.
Every time the Foxes scored, it seemed the Generals responded more strongly. As the game progressed and twilight descended, it was the home team almost solely putting points on the board.
“We had to scrap and get it done,” said Mills, whose squad hosts Varina Saturday for the regional title.
After three quarters, Mills’ crew led 42-27, then used a 28-8 final quarter to seal the deal.
Koch, a 5-11, 192-pound senior, completed 19-of-38 passes for 359 yards and five touchdowns, three to Reger and one each to Johnson and Ky’Mani Carpenter.
“We tried to bring pressure on the quarterback,” Mills said, “but he got it out of his hands quick. We kept it (our defense) mixed up and made him make some mistakes and hung on there at the end.”
All told, the Foxes accounted for 468 yards and 21 first downs on 63 plays. They coughed up six turnovers — four interceptions (two by Niyon Mason, one each by Brady Slade and Buford) and two fumbles — four of which led directly to touchdowns.
Ahead 49-35 with 6 minutes remaining, the Foxes stopped the Generals on their 3-yard line. After a false start penalty moved the ball to the 1-yard line, Dalton raced 99 yards on the first play from scrimmage to end any possibility of a comeback.
Dinwiddie produced 592 total yards, including 436 rushing rushing, and 23 first downs on 59 plays.
Rushing: King George—Charles Johnson 3-30; Simeon Battle 19-88.
Passing: King George—Dylan Koch 22-37-4, 385, 5TD; Charles Johnson 0-1-0.
Receiving: King George—Gunnar Reger 7-119, 3TD; Ky’Mani Carpenter 6-133, TD; Charles Johnson 5-57, TD; Xavier Pryor 4-76
Kicking: King George—Jacob Plew 1 PAT.
