QB's 4 TD tosses put Oscar Smith in region final

CHESAPEAKE

Oscar Smith quarterback J.J. Williamson picked a great night to get hot on what had to be the coldest night of the high school football season.

Williamson came out and completed his first five passes, including four touchdowns as the top-seeded Tigers rolled to a 34-14 victory over visiting Grassfield in the Eastern Region Division 6 semifinals. Oscar Smith (11-1) advances to its eighth consecutive region final next week when the Tigers play Salem Friday at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex at 7:30 p.m.

“It was cold,” remarked Williamson about temperatures around 38 degrees. “I didn’t even know because I was on fire.”

Yes, he was. After Grassfield went four and out to start the game, Williamson threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Zack Jones for a touchdown on Oscar Smith’s first play from scrimmage.

After another defensive stop, Williamson threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Sequan Gooding for the 14-0 lead with 6:12 left in the first quarter.

Williamson poured it on in the second quarter as he threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Melvin Vaughn and a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jones to help the Tigers take a 27-0 lead into halftime.

“The game plan was we were going after them,” said Oscar Smith coach Richard Morgan. “We couldn’t run our offense the last time we played them because of the (rain and wind). So we wanted to go after them and take them out early. And I think we executed the game plan great.”

Grassfield (10-2) didn’t roll over. The Grizzlies came out and scored 14 third-quarter points to make it interesting. Fullback Marcus Mitchell scored on a 2-yard run and quarterback Blake LaRussa threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Paris Smith to make it 27-14.

“Coach (Martin) Asprey gave a great halftime speech and we came out here and fought as hard as we possibly could,” said running back Vincent Lowe. “Here at Grassfield we don’t give up.”

The Grizzlies didn’t. But when Williamson scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to cap a 70-yard, 10-play drive even the Grassfield faithful knew it was a wrap as many headed for the exits.

“They fought hard which is what a good team does and they are a good team,” Morgan said about the Grizzlies. “We were able to fight back and persevere.”

Morgan and Williamson focus immediately shifted to next week’s showdown with Salem. Oscar Smith has won three of the past four Eastern Region Division 6 titles but lost last season to Bayside in the championship game.

“It’s an accomplishment to a point but our goal is to win it,” Morgan said about reaching eight consecutive title games. “We’ve won three and lost four. We want to go back next week and play mistake-free football and capture a fourth one.”

Oscar Smith and Salem have met four times in the playoffs with the Tigers winning three, including last season’s 48-7 victory in the semifinals. Oscar Smith also beat Salem17-9 in the 2007 Eastern Region final.

“It feels good to be advancing,” Williamson said. “I can’t wait.”

Stats G - Harper 20-143, rushing; Lowe 4-46, rushing; Smith 4-49, TD receiving. OS - Williamson 10-16-0, 240 yards, 4 TDs passing; 3-14, TD rushing; Gooding 3-60, TD receiving; Jones 2-84, 2 TDs receiving.

Larry Rubama, (757) 446-2273, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com