Playoff football: Bayside 21, Landstown 2

VIRGINIA BEACH

Lamar Jordan showed little concern.

Despite a slow start, his Bayside Marlins had just won a 21-2 Eastern Region Division 6 quarterfinal over Landstown.

Despite a performance sub-par compared with the gaudy numbers Bayside put up in last week’s season finale win over Kellam, Jordan was in good spirits.

Despite 105 yards in penalties, Jordan felt pretty good about his team’s effort.

“It’s been a strange week,” Jordan said after scoring two of his team’s three touchdowns. “We didn’t get to practice like usual because of the weather and I think we were a little nervous.

“But we played like family and got our groove back on.”

The No. 2 seeded Marlins (10-1) move on to a semifinal game either Friday or Saturday against Woodside, a 56-15 winner over Maury on Saturday.

Bayside’s defense kept Landstown on its heels throughout the game, holding the Eagles to just 33 total yards of offense.

But Landstown (6-5) managed to take a second-quarter lead when Bayside quarterback Deion Stitt was sacked in the end zone by Eagles’ defender Jordan Broadnax with 9:06 left in the first half.

Bayside responded quickly, however, taking possession at the Landstown 35 after holding the Eagles after the ensuing kick. Jordan rushed for 30 yards – and the Marlins got an offsides on Landstown – to finish a six-play drive. Jordan powered in the go-ahead score from the 1.

“I knew we needed to get the lead quick or they would think they had a chance,” said Jordan, who finished with a game-high 90 yards on 24 carries.

After holding Landstown on downs on the first possession of the second half, Bayside got quick again, with Stitt hitting Demetrius Nicholson from 72 yards out. The pass, one of only five Stitt completed on 11 attempts, hit the speedster perfectly on the dead run. Nicholson finished with two catches for 117 yards.

Jordan iced the victory early in the fourth quarter when he intercepted Donte Sanders’ pass to Broadnax at the Landstown 35 and waltzed easily into the end zone.

“It kind of surprised me,” Jordan said. “I was supposed to be on the blitz, but I saw him look at the receiver close to me. He threw it right into me.”

Landstown 0 2 0 0 — 2

Bayside 0 7 7 7 — 21

L—Safety, Stitt tackled in end zone

B—Jordan 1 run (Thomas kick)

B—Nicholson 72 pass from Stitt (Thomas kick)

B—Jordn 35 INT return (Thomas kick)

Landstown; Bayside

First downs 4; 10

Rushes-yards 26-33; 34-115

Passing yards 0; 129

Passing 0-3-2; 5-11-0

Punts-avg. yards 8-32; 4-30

Fumbles-lost 2-0; 1-0

Penalties-yards 8-55; 11-105

Lee Tolliver, (757) 222-5844, lee.tolliver@pilotonline.com