HAMPTON, VA (WTKR)- Phoebus and Hampton boast one of Virginia's fiercest rivalries and, for the fourth straight season, the two found themselves going head-to-head for the right to keep playing.
Freshman Elijah Paige tallied two touchdown passes and Kassius Tillery scored the eventual game-winning touchdown on a rush in the third quarter, as the Phantoms held off the Crabbers, 21-14, at Darling Stadium on Saturday afternoon in the Region 4A quarterfinals.
Phoebus struck first midway through the first quarter, when Paige found Jeremiah Jimmerson for the 52-yard scoring strike, getting the Phantoms on the board with an explosive play. But the Crabbers showed they weren't going anywhere. After a goalline stand, quarterback Marcus Champman and the Hampton offense engineered a 99-yard drive that ended with a Des'Tin Jones six yard touchdown rush to pull the Crabbers even.
Alonzo Coley's group still had about 3:30 to work with before halfitme and made the most of it. Paige led a scoring drive to push the Phantoms back in front, highlighted by a 39-yard pass to Josh Blackwell, who made a highlight-reel grab. That set up Tyler Allen's 28-yard catch-and-run touchdown reception, giving Phoebus the 14-7 advantage at the break.
Late in the third quarter, Tillery's rushing score extended the lead to 21-7 on a bruising, physical 18-yard rush that saw him push his way across the plane.
Chapman's quarterback-sneak TD in the fourth quarter pulled Hampton to within 21-14, but that's as close as the Crabbers would get.
Phoebus, which improved to 8-3 in Coley's first season as head coach, eliminated Hampton from the postseason for the fourth consecutive year and make it two-for-two against their arch rivals in 2026 after a 27-21 regular season triumph. The Crabbers' campaign concludes at 5-6.
The Phantoms, who hold the No. 2 seed in the region, return home Friday to host No. 3 Warhill at Darling Stadium with a trip to the region title game on the line.
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