Knights rally to stun top-ranked Monarchs

Trailing top-ranked Meadowbrook by 13 points with 10:14 left in last night's clash of Central District unbeatens, Thomas Dale's players could've hung their heads and watched another season draw to a close without a Central Region playoff berth.

Instead, the sixth-ranked Knights put together a remarkable rally that leaves them on the verge of a district championship.

Demitrius Campbell's 15-yard touchdown pass to Mike Dudley with 1:19 left gave Thomas Dale its second touchdown in the final six minutes. Anthony Prevost capped the comeback by splitting the uprights with the ensuing point-after, giving the Knights a 35-34 victory.

"If I'm going to be the leader of this team, I can't doubt my teammates. We knew if we got the ball back at the end, we were going to win," said Campbell, who completed eight of his final nine passes and finished 14 of 20 for 219 yards with three touchdowns.

The outcome was sweet redemption for Thomas Dale (6-0, 7-2), which squandered 14-point leads earlier this season in nondistrict losses to L.C. Bird and Varina.

After winning the one that mattered most, the Knights need to beat Matoaca on Friday to complete a perfect district season and secure a berth in the Central Region, Division 6 semifinals.

"We have to carry this over to next week, practice as hard as we can and play like we practice," Thomas Dale linebacker Drake Evans said. "Hopefully we can come out with a win and be district champions."

Despite an explosive offense that generated 308 yards and 28 points in the first half, Meadowbrook (5-1, 8-1) plummeted from the brink of another district championship to needing a victory over Petersburg and help from Matoaca to avoid missing the playoffs.

Domico Phillips had touchdown runs of 52 and 50 yards, and Andre Coble threw a pair of first-half touchdown passes -- including a 36-yard strike to Jacaurey Thomas on the final play of the second quarter.

Thomas Dale's defense stiffened in the second half, limiting Meadowbrook to just 98 yards and six points. But when Coble ran for a 17-yard touchdown on the initial possession of the fourth quarter, the Monarchs led 34-21 and it looked as if only a miracle could save the Knights.

Campbell delivered. Despite two sacks and two penalties, the senior calmly drove Thomas Dale 74 yards in eight plays and found Airek Green for a 28-yard touchdown to make it a one-score game.

Thomas Dale's defense got the ball back to Campbell with 3:17 left on the clock and 64 yards of grass separating the Knights from a go-ahead touchdown.

Campbell hit 4 of 5 passes on the game-winning drive, including three straight to favorite target Brandon Burton (eight catches, 102 yards). With Meadowbrook's defense focused on Burton, he found Dudley open across the middle and the 232-pound tight end dove into the end zone to complete the comeback.

"They're just so resilient," Thomas Dale coach Vic Williams said. "It took some time to learn our personality because we haven't been in the playoffs for a while. This is about a group of kids who knew how to come together."

Meadowbrook ------------------------- 7 21 0 6 -- 34
Thomas Dale ------------------------- 7 7 0 21 -- 35

TD -- Jackson 2 run (Prevost kick)

M -- Phillips 52 run (Jones kick)

M -- Phillips 50 run (kick failed)

TD -- Green 49 pass from Campbell (Prevost kick)

M -- Lloyd 4 pass from Coble (Dorsey pass from Coble)

M -- Thomas 36 pass from Coble (Jones kick)

TD -- Edmunds 6 run (Prevost kick)

M -- Coble 17 run (kick failed)

TD -- Green 28 pass from Campbell (Prevost kick)

TD -- Dudley 15 pass from Campbell (Prevost kick)

RUSHING

Meadowbrook: Domico Phillips 20-182; Coble 14-72, Dorsey 1-(minus-5). Thomas Dale: Jackson 13-66, Edmunds 5-18, Campbell 10-12, Fields 4-7, Green 3-4.

PASSING

Meadowbrook: Coble 11-19-0-157. Thomas Dale: Campbell 14-20-0-219.

RECEIVING

Meadowbrook: Dorsey 5-49, Thomas 2-55, Wright 1-34, Wingate 1-11, Lewis 1-4, Lloyd 1-4. Thomas Dale: Burton 8-102, Green 3-101, Dudley 2-17, Fields 1-(minus-1).