You couldn’t ask for a better start to the season for the Powhatan Indians.
At home for the first time this year, the Indians welcomed the Richmond High School for the Arts on Friday night, and from the opening drive, it was all Powhatan all the time. The Indians scored 38 unanswered points and played turnover-free football in front of their home crowd, cruising to a dominant 38-8 win to move to 2-0.
Quarterback Elliott Murphy got the offense going early, scoring with his legs on a 40-yard foot race on Powhatan’s opening drive. Richmond had difficulties containing the athletic ability of Murphy, who rushed for 96 yards. For Murphy, it was a great follow-up of an 81-yard, two-touchdown rushing performance last week at Orange County.
Murphy was just as effective with his arm, tossing three touchdowns and 108 yards on six completions. Two of those touchdowns went to wide receiver Jayshaun Morris, who pulled in both catches in the red zone.
People are also reading…
Murphy’s first touchdown pass was his most explosive, when he slung a 30-yard shot across the middle to senior Ben Whitver, who beat his defensive assignment with ease to sprint under the pass for a 14-0 first quarter lead. Whitver finished the contest with 71 yards on two receptions.
Later in the opening quarter, Murphy found Morris with a touchdown strike in the corner of the endzone. The tandem followed it up with an even better red zone score when, in the second quarter, Morris ran under a throw and pulled it in with one hand into his body for a 28-0 lead.
Powhatan senior wide receiver Jayshaun Morris (#18) makes a diving catch in the endzone for his second touchdown of the game.
Before the end of the first half, the Indians found the end zone one last time, this one coming on the ground with a handoff to starting running back Chris DeShazo, who put his head down and pushed through the middle of the line for the offense’s fifth and final touchdown drive.
Running back Chris DeShazo rushes up the middle for a touchdown against RHSA on Sept. 5.
Right as time expired in the first half, the Indians added three more points with a 24-yard field goal by Blake Monson.
On the other side of the field, the Indians defense didn’t generate any turnovers – though linebacker Ben Yarhouse did force a fumble – but in spite of that fact they had no issues getting off the field to set up their offense in favorable spots. It came down to limiting big plays, making tackles on first contact and limiting penalties. On the tackling front, James Hudson led the team with five total tackles.
This is technically Powhatan’s first 2-0 start to the season since 2022, when they won via forfeit against Mechanicsville and beat Huguenot. The year prior, they beat both of those teams for another 2-0 record.
Up next for Powhatan is another road contest, this time at Midlothian, where the Trojans also seek a 3-0 start after wins against L.C. Bird and Freeman. That game kicks off at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 12.
