VIRGINIA BEACH — Speedy quarterback Kam Kirby ran for three touchdowns Thursday night as Bayside upended No. 8 Salem 27-21 in a season opener in the SunDevils’ stadium.
Kirby carried 14 times for 89 yards and completed 10 of 14 passes for 99 yards. Most of that total was to Martrez Chavious-Fenner, who made six catches for 79 yards.
“Our quarterback’s a different breed,” Marlins coach Jon White said. “You saw smart players making smart decisions.”
The Marlins were predicted to finish fourth in the Beach District, while the SunDevils were tabbed to be second.
Salem quarterback Jason “Scooter” Williams opened the scoring with a 58-yard touchdown burst up the middle and closed it with a 15-yard run with 6:32 left in the game. Despite sacks counting against the total, he finished with 55 yards on eight carries and completed 17 of 36 throws for 226 yards.
Kirby slithered for Bayside’s first two touchdowns in a 43-second span of the second quarter, sandwiched around an onside kick recovery by the Marlins.
The SunDevils’ Fabian Wells caught six passes for 114 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown at the back of the end zone with 21 seconds left in the second quarter.
Wells’ grab evened the halftime score at 14, but 1-yard touchdown runs by Amir Lyde and Kirby put the Marlins ahead 27-14 in the third quarter. Bayside’s Ibrahim Diabagate hit three of four PAT tries, while Salem’s Princeton Ortiz made three.
Despite Williams’ dual threat, Bayside stopped Salem’s last two possessions. The SunDevils couldn’t get past the Marlins’ 39 on their final drive.
— Reported by Gary Lassiter
#14 Cox 41, Princess Anne 14
Josh Walton ran for 96 yards and two first-quarter touchdowns Thursday night as Cox handled Princess Anne in a clash of first-year Beach District coaches.
The host Falcons, ranked 14th in the 757Teamz Top 15, dumped a bucket of liquid in celebration on Tyler Noe, the former assistant who has taken over as head coach for Pro Football Hall of Fame lineman Alan Faneca.
“Our team came out like no other,” Noe said. “In our scrimmage, we got our tails kicked by Warwick, but they came out and answered. We challenged them all week in practice.”
Former record-setting Oscar Smith quarterback Phillip Sims made his coaching debut for the visiting Cavaliers, whose losing streak reached 18 games.
Walton’s touchdown runs of 5 and 2 yards gave Cox a 14-0 lead. The Falcons extended it 24-0 in the second quarter on quarterback Gage Trefry’s 1-yard TD run and Sam Braidwood’s 31-yard field goal.
After Braidwood, as usual, knocked a kickoff into the end zone for a touchback, PA responded on the next play. Kobe Sutton received a short pass from Christian Francis near the sideline and lateraled the ball to Ajani “A.J.” Martin, who raced 79 yards down the sideline for a touchdown with 6:15 left in the second quarter.
Cox went ahead 31-6 before halftime as Gerard Johnson, a Virginia Tech defensive recruit, scored on a 15-yard reception from Trefry.
Trefry’s 14-yard touchdown run preceded Martin’s 28-yard scoring reception from Francis in the third quarter. Martin then ran for the subsequent two-point conversion, meaning he scored all of the Cavaliers’ points.
Braidwood’s 37-yard field goal provided the fourth quarter’s only points.
Cox’s offense amassed 17 first downs and 312 yards, including 263 on the ground.
C—Walton 15-96 rushing; Trefry 11-60 rushing; Gerald Simmons III 10-76 rushing; PA—Malachi Small 5-60 receiving; Francis 11-23-1, 200 yards passing.
— Reported by Charlie Baumgardner
#10 Lafayette 43, Spotsylvania 6
The Rams built a 20-0 halftime lead on their way to a season-opening non-district win over the Knights at Wanner Stadium.
First Colonial 27, Kellam 25
Coach Lemort Smith won in his debut as the Patriots survived when Kellam’s last-second field-goal attempt missed.
First Colonial snapped an 11-game losing streak against Kellam that dated to 2012. The Patriots’ last win in the series was 23-10 in 2011.
Ocean Lakes 13, Landstown 12, OT
The Dolphins trailed 6-3 heading into the fourth quarter, but forced overtime before claiming a victory — matching their win total last season.
Ocean Lakes scored a touchdown on its first OT possession and, after a Landstown touchdown, stopped the Eagles’ attempt at a game-winning two-point conversion.
