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Jackets' season ends with bitter defeat DIVISION 3

November 17, 2007 12:36 am

BY JUSTIN RICE

The stunned James Monroe Yellow Jackets were quiet on their sidelines watching Poquoson run out the clock in yesterday's Region I, Division 3 semifinal.

The Jackets somberly shook hands with the Islanders, and then broke their team huddle with a half-hearted cheer.

It wasn't supposed to end this way--a team with so much promise, so many weapons on offense.

But the season is over for JM, and it was a bitter pill for the Jackets to swallow last night.

"That's an understatement," said JM coach Rich Serbay.

Poquoson (7-4), the fourth seed in the four-team Region I bracket, played stingy defense and used its running game to control the clock, handing the Jackets a 14-7 defeat at Maury Stadium. The Islanders will travel to Brunswick, a 21-12 winner against Nottoway, next week for the Region I championship.

James Monroe, which reached the Division 3 state semifinals last year, ends the season 9-2.

As the Jackets warmed up, they watched a small-looking Poquoson team run plays on the other end of the field. JM was confident, sure it was on the verge of another offensive outburst.

"We came out thinking our name and our record was going to prove something," JM senior receiver P.J. Hayden said, "but it didn't turn out that way."

All that confidence went out the window on one bad play in the second quarter.

Poquoson had used a ball-control wing-T offense for a 19-play drive down to the JM 5-yard-line. There the Jackets stiffened, stopped the Islanders on third down, and blocked a 22-yard field goal try by Eric Nixon.

The stop fired JM up and its offense responded with a promising drive.

But on first-and-10 from JM's 40, quarterback DeVontae Atkins dropped back to pass and was quickly swarmed over. As he was being spun down for a 10-yard loss, he tried to throw the ball away. Instead, the pass went backward, all the way to JM's end zone.

Poquoson lineman Danny Chavez raced to the ball and pounced on it for an easy touchdown.

"I was trying to throw it out of bounds," Atkins said. "I don't know; I was just trying to make a play."

The touchdown put JM back on its heels; the Islanders' defense did the rest.

The Jackets average 31.4 points per game and had scored less than 20 points just once this year. But last night the big-play offense was missing.

Atkins, who had thrown for 15 touchdowns and 1,307 yards in the regular season, was 10-of-21 for 86 yards. And Hayden had six catches for 53 yards, but no receptions longer than 12 yards.

"We really focused on [Atkins] and [Hayden], trying to contain them," Nixon said. "We did a great job tonight on defense."

James Monroe's speed had been the No. 1 concern for Poquoson coach Elliott Duty.

"Our kids played hard from the first whistle," Duty said. "It's hard to simulate their speed. We told them be prepared for anything."

The Islanders added a second touchdown on their first possession of the second half. An 11-play drive was capped by Nixon's 11-yard scoring pass to Kendall Charles.

James Monroe answered by turning to its running game. Running back Jamel Brooks and fullback Stephen Meadows drove to the Islanders' 17, and then Atkins ran a bootleg off left tackle to bring JM within seven.

But given two fourth-quarter chances, JM came up empty. A march to the Poquoson 12 self-destructed and ended with a fourth-down interception in the end zone.

And with 1:13 left in the game, Hayden's 27-yard punt return set JM up at the Islanders' 31. Four incomplete passes later, though, and the Jackets' season was over.

"There's a lot of seniors on this team waiting for a run at the state championship," Hayden said. "And now it's over."

Second Quarter

Pq--D. Chavez fumble recovery in the end zone (E. Nixon kick).

Third Quarter

Pq--K. Charles 11-yard pass from E. Nixon (E. Nixon kick).

JM--D. Atkins 17-yard run (R. Davis kick).

TEAMSTATISTICS

INDIVIDUALSTATISTICS

Passing: James Monroe--DeVontae Atkins 10-21-1 86; P.J. Hayden 0-1-0 0. Poquoson--Eric Nixon 4-8-0 40, TD.

Receiving: James Monroe--P.J. Hayden 6-53; Farkeem French 1-17; Jamel Brooks 1-12; Greg Edwards 1-9; Delonte Fleming 1-5. Poquoson--Troy Fiedler 1-14; Kendall Charles 1-11, TD; Dell Bryce 1-8; Seth Austin 1-7.