CHARLOTTESVILLE — An expected offensive showdown lived up to that billing, for a half.
Lapel outscored a depleted Eastern Hancock offense 20-0 in the final two quarters and came from behind to defeat the Royals in both teams regular-season finale, 39-21, at Knarr Field, Friday.
The Royals (4-5) led 21-19 in a back-and-forth first half that saw six touchdowns, including four from 22 yards or longer.
Lapel (7-2) continued the highlight reel in the second half, but Eastern Hancock, which had an offensive lineman and three receivers go out with apparent injuries during the game, couldn’t match the Bulldogs.
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Both teams are among the highest scoring clubs in Class 2A. The Royals came in averaging 34.6 points per game, while the Bulldogs average 32.9.
“We played better defense in the second half, I thought. We had our backs against the wall and we kept finding ways to stop them and came up with some turnovers,” Eastern Hancock coach Doug Armstrong said. “Their speed on defense hurt us a little bit, but we had some important short yardage plays we didn’t get.
“We couldn’t put first downs together in the second half. We were fighting and we were up against it a little bit (with injuries). You either get adversity or you let adversity get you."
Eastern Hancock stopped Lapel twice in the second half with interceptions from senior Cayden Sotelo, but both picks put the Royals deep in their own territory and they couldn’t find a way out.
The series from Sotelo’s second interception ended in a punt and Lapel’s Tanner Mroz returned the kick 50 yards for a touchdown to give the Bulldogs the lead 25-21 with 1:41 left in the third quarter.
After another three-and-out series on offense, the Bulldogs needed only one play to add to their lead. Again it was Mroz. This time he scored on a 66-yard reverse. A two-point conversion gave Lapel a 33-21 lead with 11:42 remaining.
The Royals were able to get to the Lapel 24 midway through the fourth quarter, on a series set up after a Jake Johnson interception, but the drive stalled and the Bulldogs regained possession.
Lapel quarterback Brennan Stow scored in the final minute on a 13-yard run.
The first half was filled with big offensive plays.
Twice, teams needed just one play to score. After a 1-yard touchdown run from Zach Arnold gave Eastern Hancock a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter, Lapel quickly answered on its ensuing drive with a hand-off to sophomore standout Tyler Dollar, who went 65 yards to tie the game 7-7.
In the second quarter, after Dollar put the Bulldogs ahead 19-14 on a 28-yard touchdown run, Eastern Hancock needed only one play to take the lead. Houston Swan hit J.P. Fuchs on a short-pass play and the senior wide receiver went 80 yards for a 21-19 EH lead.
An Arnold 57-yard run set up a Swan to Cole Rainbolt 22-yard touchdown pass to give Eastern a 14-7 lead with still 8:25 left in the first quarter.
Both Arnold and Dollar were over 100 yards rushing in the first quarter. Both had hit 150 by halftime.
Dollar had a big night, rushing, unofficially for 260 yards on 21 carries. Arnold had a big night for the Royals with 18 carries for 164 yards.
The Royals played much of the game without 6-foot-6, 275-pound lineman Tyler Cavaletto and later lost three of their top receivers, Fuchs, Rainbolt and Sotelo with apparent injuries. Sotelo and Rainbolt were able to return to the game, though Rainbolt’s time was limited.
"It’ll be a great opportunity next week to come together and battle adversity together," added Armstrong. "We coach the next guy up. The No. 1’s that are playing are going to have to step their game up and everybody has to play better and help each other out."
The Royals will play host to Shenandoah next week in the first round of the Class 2A Sectional 38. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. It will be the second meeting in three weeks for the sectional rivals. Shenandoah defeated Eastern Hancock 28-21 on Oct. 9.
Friday’s win for Lapel was its fifth straight against the Royals.
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Lapel 39, Eastern Hancock 21
Lapel (7-2);13;6;6;14;-;39
Eastern Hancock (4-5);14;7;0;0;-;21
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
EH – Zach Arnold 1 yd run (J.P. Fuchs kick), 10:01
L – Tyler Dollar 65 yd run (Tanner Mroz kick), 9:40
EH – Cole Rainbolt 22 yd pass from Houston Swan (Fuchs kick), 8:25
L – Kyle Shelton 2 yd run (pass failed), 2:03
Second Quarter
L – Dollar 28 yd run (run failed), 8:23
EH – Fuchs 80 yd pass from Swan (Fuchs kick), 7:57
Third Quarter
L – Mroz 50 yd. punt return (pass failed), 1:41
Fourth Quarter
L – Mroz 66 yd run (Shelton run), 11:42
L – Brennan Stow 13 yd run (run failed), :53
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