Suffolk News-Herald

Last week, the Nansemond River varsity team suffered its worst game in two seasons, falling 28-0 to Kecoughtan. On Thursday evening, the school ‘s junior varsity team found itself on the good side of a shutout, passing and rushing by, around, and through an overmatched Hickory for a 34-0 season-opening victory at River.

&uot;You always succeed if you keep on trying,&uot; said Dan Miller, who scored on a three-yard dive in the second quarter. &uot;We all were confident in each other.&uot;

That showed on the Warriors’ opening drive. Facing a fourth-and-13 at their own 27, Miller snuck around the left side on a fake punt and charged all the way to midfield. Three plays later, quarterback Justin Topping hit Darryl Freeney in the right corner of the endzone for an 8-0 lead (Miller ran for the two-point conversion).

&uot;I’ve been dropping the ball in practice, and I just thought, ‘I have to catch this one – it’s a gimmie!’&uot; Freeney said. &uot;Once I caught that, I was straight from then on.&uot;

That showed on the next drive, when Topping threaded a pass between two Hawk defenders for a 30-yard strike to Freeney. &uot;He’s my favorite receiver, because he’s fast and he can really catch,&uot; Topping said of Freeney. &uot;He always makes me look good!&uot;

Dijon Elliott scored the remaining touchdowns for the Warriors, on runs of 20 and 10 yards.