Football: No. 1 Varina 42, No. 7 Dinwiddie 40

DINWIDDIE -- Top-ranked Varina and No. 7 Dinwiddie put on the show everyone expected from the defending Division 6 and Division 5 Central Region champions.

The teams battled from the 75-yard opening kickoff return by Varina's Jerel Harrison to Dinwiddie quarterback Chris Hall's fifth touchdown pass and third TD catch by Quintaze Jackson late in the fourth quarter.

"It was a wild game. I'd like to have been on the other end," Dinwiddie coach Billy Mills said.

The game featured big momentum swings. The Generals scored the next two touchdowns after Harrison's runback. Varina responded with four TDs, all by Dondrey Pegeas, who ran for three and caught a 24-yard pass from Hermon Norrell.

"We had a horrible third quarter, but we crawled our way back into it," Mills said.

The Generals scored the next three touchdowns, including a blocked punt by Brian Belangia that was recovered in the end zone by Trey Gardner.

Varina scored what turned out to be the game winner on a 49-yard pass from Hermon Norrell to Pegeas. That put the Blue Devils up 42-33.

Dinwiddie's last score was a 45-yard pass from Hall to Jackson with 1:16 remaining.

Hall threw for 406 yards, but he also had three interceptions. Jackson caught 10 passes for 211 yards. Drakar Harvell had five catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns. Gardner logged 101 yards on four catches.

Pegeas finished with four carries for 85 yards and three touchdowns and four receptions for 110 yards and two scores. Norrell was 9 for 14 for 126 yards, two TDs and an interception. Last year's leading rusher Trey Johnson only played in the first half. He had seven carries for 58 yards.

"We're lucky to get out of there with a win. It was a barnburner," Varina coach Stu Brown said. "It wasn't pretty. Thank goodness it's out of the way."

Varina ------------------------- 7 7 21 7 -- 42
Dinwiddie ------------------------- 7 6 6 21 -- 40

V -- Harrison 75 kickoff return (McDaniel kick)

D -- Jackson 37 pass from Hall (Lopez kick)

D -- Harvell 15 pass from Hall (kick failed)

V -- Pegeas 24 pass from Norrell (McDaniel kick)

V -- Pegeas 5 run (McDaniel kick)

V -- Pegeas 64 run (McDaniel kick)

V -- Pegeas 11 run (McDaniel kick)

D --Harvell 46 pass from Hall (pass failed)

D -- Jackson 45 pass from Hall (pass failed)

D -- Gardner blocked punt recovered into end zone (Hall run)

V -- Pegeas 49 pass from Norrell (McDaniel kick)

D -- Jackson 45 pass from Hall (Lopez kick)