By HARRISON HAMLET
(RIDGEWAY, Va.) – It didn’t take long for Magna Vista’s football team to impose their will on visiting William Fleming on Friday night.
The Warriors scored on their first offensive play and didn’t let up until halftime, tallying seven first-half touchdowns en route to a 55-14 shellacking of Fleming after a pair of road wins to start the season.
Magna Vista quarterback Dryus Hairston was efficient through the air, tossing a pair of touchdown passes, and running back Louis Taylor got the game started with an emphatic 47-yard score on the way to three touchdowns in just six touches.
“I just saw green grass created by the offensive-line, so I went and got that money,” Taylor said of the first-play score. “When we execute and we play hard and all play together, good things happen.”
Magna Vista head coach Joe Favero said Taylor’s opening onslaught, which included a short score on the Warriors’ second drive, as well, was key to the explosive victory.
“I thought they were a good team, we just struck early. We got a quick stop, went straight down the field and never let off the gas,” Favero said. “When you score on the first play of the game, that helps set the tone early. When Taylor gets in the open field, he’s a handful.”
Sophomore wide receiver and rising star Tyler Johnson acted as a change of pace and got in on the scoring action on a 25-yard end-around.
Hairston, not to be outdone by his backfield-mate Taylor, dropped two perfect passes to Ty Grant for scores that gave the Warriors a 35-0 lead before the Colonels could catch their breath.
Hairston added a score on the ground just before the halftime buzzer to give the Warriors an unassailable 48-7 lead at the break.
“Hairston looks in control back there, he understands what we’re trying to do offensively,” Favero said. “We’ve got four or five wide receivers, when the ball is in the air, they feel like it’s theirs every time.”
Kylan Brown rounded out the scoring for Magna Vista with a 27-yard run after halftime that secured the win.
The defense, however, held the Colonels down until the final whistle.
“I think we played pretty good on defense,” Taylor, who also plays defensively as a cornerback, said. “We got a little slow towards the end of the game but we picked it back up to close them out.”
An unsung factor in the victory, according to Favero, was the Warriors’ field position. Magna Vista started just one of their first-half drives inside their own 40 yard line.
“It starts on special teams. When you’re able to kick the ball high and are able to make teams start on their own 20, that’s a huge weapon. It makes the field really long for them,” Favero said. “Then, the defense played great and got some quick stops. That gives our offense the ball on a short field, that’s a great way to start. Field position really matters.”
With the annual showdown against Franklin County (1-2) up next, Magna Vista (3-0) isn’t losing focus after their early success.
When asked about the upcoming contest, Taylor’s game-face returned quickly.
“I know it’s going to be a hard fought game,” he said.
Magna Vista 55, William Fleming 14
MV – 28 20 7 0 – 55
WF – 0 7 0 7 – 14
SCORING SUMMARY
FIRST QUARTER
MV – 9:19 – Louis Taylor 47 run (Cory Osborne PAT good)
MV – 3:04 – Louis Taylor 3 run (Cory Osborne PAT good)
MV – 1:56 – Ty Grant 29 pass from Dryus Hairston (Cory Osborne PAT good)
MV – 1:07 – Tyler Johnson 25 run (Cory Osborne PAT good)
SECOND QUARTER
MV – 10:04 – Ty Grant 27 pass from Dryus Hairston (Cory Osborne PAT good)
WF – 8:57 – Sae’quan Bannister 88 pass from Dashawn Lewis (TeiTu Lian PAT good)
MV – 4:04 – Louis Taylor 4 run (Cory Osborne PAT good)
MV – 0:07 – Dryus Hairston 6 run (PAT blocked)
THIRD QUARTER
MV – 6:35 – Kylan Brown 27 run (Cory Osborne PAT good)
FOURTH QUARTER
WF – 1:56 – Dekavis Preston 1 run (TeiTu Lian PAT good)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
MAGNA VISTA
RUSHING
Kylan Brown 8 for 76, TD; Louis Taylor 6 for 64, 3TD; Tyler Johnson 4 for 55, TD; Dekavis Preston 8 for 53; Dryus Hairston 5 for 20, TD; Johnathan Moxley 4 for 14; Jacob Kerrick 1 for 10; Joshua Foster 1 for 5; Isaiah Neal 1 for 4; Trever Martin 2 for 3; Andrew Santoemma 1 for -2. TOTAL: 40 for 297.
PASSING
Dryus Hairston 8-13 for 104, 2TD.
RECEIVING
Ty Grant 2 for 56, 2TD; Freddie Roberts 1 for 25; Tyler Johnson 2 for 14, Andrew Santoemma 2 for 11; Christopher Ellison 1 for -2.
WILLIAM FLEMING
RUSHING
Dashawn Lewis 9 for 74, Fum.; Deaquan Nichols 2 for 14; Nahshon Bonds 8 for 9; Shareef Anderson 7 for 6; Ziyan Graham 1 for 1, TD; Sae’quan Bannister 1 for 0; Nickolas Andrews 1 for -6. TOTAL: 29 for 98, TD, Fum.
PASSING
Dashawn Lewis 5-10 for 172, TD, INT; Daequan Nichols 1-5 for 2. TOTAL: 6 for 15, 174, TD, INT.
RECEIVING
Sae’quan Bannister 1 for 88, TD; Jajuan Webb 1 for 45; Deaquan Nichols 1 for 7; Dmontra Kasey 1 for 6; Nickolas Andrews 1 for 2.