Nansemond-Suffolk Academy’s football team may have been short-handed on Saturday due to injuries, but it gave host Virginia Episcopal School no reason to believe it was at less than full strength.

The Saints dominated the Bishops on both sides of the ball on their way to a 43-14 victory in Lynchburg.

“I’m very pleased that the kids played this well with our four or five starters out,” NSA coach Lew Johnston said. “Very satisfied.”

The Nansemond-Suffolk offense piled up 561 yards from scrimmage, while Virginia Episcopal could only manage 98, much of which came in the fourth quarter after the game was out of reach and Johnston had fielded his team’s second- and third-string units.

“Our starting defense must have had seven or eight sacks,” Johnston said. “We were just all over the place.”

Saints junior linebacker Cole Christiansen led the way with eight tackles, five of them solo, for a loss, and three sacks.

“We moved Cole Christiansen outside to fill in for Ke’Shaun Moore, and he was just unbelievable,” Johnston said, noting the coaches had him attack the line off the edge. “He just wreaked havoc in their backfield.”

Senior defensive lineman David Gough also had a strong game, with five tackles and four sacks.

“I was pleased with Jack Bivins,” Johnston said of the sophomore who started at middle linebacker, allowing Christiansen to fill in for Moore.

Offensively, NSA had familiar stars in the running game, with junior running back Noah Giles racking up 185 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries. Gough returned to form with 14 carries for 171 yards, and senior running back Addison Peak scored a touchdown on a five-yard run in the first quarter.

“The pleasant surprise was Noah Serianni was throwing and running,” Johnston said, highlighting his junior quarterback’s dual threat potency that led to three touchdowns.

Serianni ran three times for 48 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown, and completed four passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns, both to senior tight end C.J. Patterson. The first was for 44 yards and the second was for 22.

“C.J. Patterson really stepped up,” Johnston said. “We challenged C.J. this week to really play up to his capability and he responded.”

Nansemond-Suffolk (3-1) visits defending state champion Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School next Friday night.