Suffolk News-Herald

Perfection.

Championship.

A Gatorade shower.

The Nansemond-Suffolk JV football team culminated an 8-0 season with a 49-14 victory over rival Norfolk Academy in Suffolk Tuesday evening.

No need for provisional ballots, or a concession speech, or &uot;waiting one more night&uot; for the Saints’ JV football team; it’s the undisputed victor of the TCIS for the second time in three seasons.

As has been the case throughout the season, Kelvin Demps provided big plays for the NSA offense.

On the second play from scrimmage, Demps took a carry off right tackle, broke into the Bulldog secondary, cut diagonally toward the left sideline, and raced away from all the defenders, carrying 48 yards for the touchdown.

NA came back strong however, marching down the field on a 10 play, 76-yard drive, and scoring on a fake extra point to go up 8-7.

On the third play of the next NSA drive, from the NSA 30, Demps took a run up the middle, broke through the line, broke away from a couple tacklers at around midfield, and then ran the rest of the way untouched for his second touchdown.

Seven minutes into the game, Demps had carried five times (every Saints’ play so far) for 122 yards.

The Bulldogs would tie the game at 14 midway through the second quarter after recovering a fumble at the NSA 11.

NSA’s defense nearly saved the day, but an apparent interception by Trey Hill in the endzone was called back for pass interference.

A 27-yard Andy Owens sweep around the right side finished a six play, 61-yard drive which put NSA up 21-14 at the half.

Despite 155 yards from Demps, and three NSA touchdown drives totaling 193 yards on just 11 plays, NA, perhaps recalling the 27-6 drubbing NSA handed them on Oct. 14, had stubbornly kept the matter too close to call for the first half, making the victory celebration wait.

The race would break on the opening kick of the second half.

With NA set to receive, Chase Cali kicked deep for NSA, and the ball bounced and skipped past the last return man.

As he raced back to pick the ball up around the 10, NSA’s coverage was only a couple steps behind, and belted him in the back, forcing a fumble. After a long melee, the ball was finally controlled with three Saints falling on it at the one-yard line.

On the next play, Owens snuck the ball over the goal line.

Instead of NA having the first chance to score, NSA quickly had a 28-14 lead a few seconds into the half.

After allowing 139 yards of offense in the first half, the NSA defense held the Bulldogs to two first downs and 16 total yards in the second half.

The NSA offense remained unstoppable, scoring four touchdowns on four second half possessions.

With 3:05 to go in the third, a 21-yard touchdown run by Demps concluded his evening of work.

Demps finished with 13 carries, 199 yards, and 3 TDs.

Early in the fourth quarter, a 15 yard touchdown pass from Owens to Christian Upchurch made the score 42-14.

Hill would get his earlier pick back, giving the Saints possession again at their own 36 with 6:30 left.

The final Saints’ possession ended with Sam Howell running the ball in on third and goal from the two.

NSA finished with 283 rushing yards, 325 total yards, and 17 first downs.

Their offense faced only two third downs all night.

Cali was 7-for-7 on extra points.

Coach Kenny Crowder was summarily doused with the Gatorade bucket as the

time expired.

&uot;We feel really good,&uot; Owens said. &uot;We practiced hard every day out here and it paid off.&uot;