Friday playoff football: Salem 35, Bayside 21

VIRGINIA BEACH

Divante Walker wanted the football and got it.

And the Salem tailback knew what to do with it, dashing 43 yards around the right end for a decisive touchdown Friday night that secured a 35-21 Eastern Region Division 6 semifinal victory over Bayside.

The win puts the SunDevils (11-1) in next Friday night’s region final at the Sportsplex against Oscar Smith – a 34-14 winner over Grassfield.

Salem lost to Oscar Smith in its last region final in 2007.

“I saw daylight, hit it and got myself into the end zone,” said Walker, who finished with 183 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. “This is gonna be my first time in the (region) final and it feels good.

“We’re going to make the best of it.”

In a game featuring two of the area’s top quarterbacks defense ruled for much of the first half.

The game was physical, with Salem getting 13 penalties for 137 yards. Bayside (9-3) was flagged 10 times for 97 yards.

“This is two weeks in a row where penalties have been killing us,” Salem coach Robert Jackson said. “We’re giving people yards at the worst time and we’ve got to stop doing that.”

Walker’s security touchdown came after the Marlins fought their way back after trailing 20-7 at the half.

Bayside narrowed the margin to six quickly in the second half when Deion Stitt hit Anthony Cooper with a perfectly thrown 51-yard bomb.

Salem would answer 10 minutes later when Bucky Hodges flicked a short pass to a wide-open Brehon Daniels from 18 yards.

“We knew it was going to be like this,” Walker said. “It was tough the first time we played them (a 31-6 victory for Salem in the season opener). We knew they’d come out and play hard and physical.

“This was a tough one.”

Bayside cut the lead to a touchdown four minutes into the final quarter when Stitt dashed in from 11 yards.

Walker made his game-sealing sprint four minutes later.

“That score was big ... real big,” Jackson said. “He wanted it and we gave it to him.

“He was due to break one.”

The game marked the comeback of Salem linebacker Joshua Lawson, who injured a shoulder in the preseason and went through surgery and rehabilitation during the regular season.

“It was great for us to be able to go far enough to get him back into action,” Jackson said. “What a great story that is.”

Key stats: B–Quin Blanding 4-68 TD receiving; Cooper 4-110 TD receiving; Stitt 13-27-2 2 TDs passing. S–Hodges 15-77 TD rushing. Fredrick 4-61 receiving.

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