HARRISONBURG, VA (WTKR)- Maury and Highland Springs were tied for all of 15 seconds in the Class 5 state championship game Saturday evening.
Then Matt Williams fielded the opening kickoff. The junior took the ball on a bounce, used his blockers, got to the sideline and sped for a 74-yard touchdown return before fans in Bridgeforth Stadium could even blink.
That was the start of a 19 point opening frame for Maury that would help the Commodores to a 25-7 win over Highland Springs to claim their third consecutive state crown. It marked the program's 14th straight win and fourth overall state championship.
"It feels good, three in a row," head coach Dyrri McCain said. "It puts us in a dynasty conversation, been one of the most consistent programs in the state of Virginia. In order to be the man, you've got to beat the man and those guys have been champions for a long time. They had their run and they're still making their run."
"We created a dynasty that everybody thought we couldn't create," junior running back Tayshawn Branche added. "They told us we weren't supposed to be here and we created a dynasty here today."
Williams kickoff return was just the start of an explosive first quarter. After forcing the Springers to go three and out on their first drive, Maury struck again on its first offensive possession, as sophomore quarterback Domo Everette called his own number for a 42-yard touchdown rush to extend the lead to 13-0. After another defensive stand, Everette found a wide-open Williams for a 64-yard touchdown pass to give the Commodores a 19-0 advantage after the first quarter.
Some Maury mistakes and improvement by the Highland Springs defense kept the Commodores off the scoreboard for the next two frames, but McCain's defense played on its best games of the year, shutting down the Springers until early in the fourth quarter. But Maury would respond on the ensuing drive, as Javonti Hughes took the direct snap and scored on a seven yard rush to cap off the final scoring drive.
The Commodores and Springers have developed quite the history since 2018 and Saturday marked Maury's first playoff victory against Highland Springs in that span. McCain's group lost in the series in the 2018 and 2020 state semifinals and the 2022 state title game, with the Commodores sweeping two regular season match-ups in 2023 and 2024.
