by James J. Lidington

ISLE OF WIGHT
For a brief moment in their game on Friday night, Isle of Wight Academy had Norfolk Christian in a vulnerable position.

The teams were tied 14-14 after 3 minutes of frenetic play that saw 11 combined offensive plays.

But it was a short-lived situation as the Chargers saw the Ambassadors run off the next 41 points unanswered in what would become a 55-14 season-ending loss that dropped IWA to a 3-6 record.

Norfolk Christian (8-1), however, remained in contention for a Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Div. II playoff berth. Last week’s poll had the Ambassadors ranked fourth. The playoff selection committee chooses four teams from among the top six squads to represent the division in the postseason.

The Chargers played three of the division’s top five teams this season, going 0-3 against them.

Defense set the table for Isle of Wight’s first score. Odin Bristol, who wrapped up the season as IWA’s leading tackler with 100 (and an 11.1-per-game average), intercepted Norfolk Christian’s Alvonte Lawton on their second play from scrimmage, giving the Chargers the ball deep in Ambassador territory.

A play later, the Chargers’ Hunter Edwards scored on a 20-yard run to make it 6-0. Lawton starred on his team’s next possession, completing a 32-yard pass and running for 27 yards to set up Isaiah Rice’s 4-yard touchdown that, after the extra point, put Christian ahead 7-6.

The ensuing kickoff was gathered in by IWA’s Colby Williams at his own 5-yard line and returned 95 yards for another touchdown. Sophomore quarterback Luke Scrivanich ran for the 2-point conversion as IWA reclaimed the lead, 14-7.

A play later, Lawton found Gage Elliott on a 65-yard scoring play. The extra point knotted the score at 14. The husky but highly mobile Lawton finished the game with 350 yards passing, running for two scores and passing for two more.

Beset by injuries and loss of two starting backfield players in quarterback Ryan Boyce and Cameron Riblet, as well as several others to various injuries, IWA’s Edwards more than picked up the slack. The junior running back finished the season with 1,563 yards and 13 touchdowns for 78 of his team’s 181 points this year. He was one of only six Chargers who registered stats on offense in each of the team’s nine games this season.

JAMES J. LIDINGTON is a teacher at Isle of Wight Academy. He can be reached at 357-3866.