HRFT 2023 - Week 6: Lafayette Rams at Warhill Lions - Bay Rivers District

Warhill takes command in Bay Rivers District with a dramatic win over Lafayette
JAMES CITY -The road to a first-ever unbeaten regular season and first outright Bay Rivers District championship just opened wide for Warhill High’s football team. Tavyion Blockett cleared the way.
Blockett made a spectacular catch in double coverage for a 38-yard reception that gave the Lions a first down at the Lafayette 5-yard line with 24 seconds remaining and the game tied. Two plays later, quarterback Liam Francisque, who threw the pass, ran 5 yards on a keeper to give the Rams the lead.
Blockett then clinched the game with an interception as the No. 7 Lions beat the No. 9 Rams 27-20 in front of an overflow crowd, one of the largest ever to see a game at Wanner Stadium. The Lions (6-0, 4-0 district) still must win their next four games to win the district title outright for the first time - they shared it with Lafayette and York in 2021 - but they will be heavily favored in each of those contests.
“It felt great to make that catch and the game-sewing interception,” said Blockett, a 5-foot-8, 150-pound senior. “My adrenaline was pumping and I went up and it was all hands.”
Actually there were six hands, including his, going for the ball, which went right through those of a Lafayette defensive back and into Blockett’s as he was falling down. Francisque never had any doubt.
“(Blockett) kept telling me ‘I’m open, I’m open,’ ” but Lafayette was dropping an extra linebacker into coverage, so it was hard to get it to him,” Francisque said. “When (the linebacker) went to the other side and I threw it up to him, I knew he’d get it.”
The pass capped a productive night for Francisque, who completed 15 of 28 passes for 278 yards. Those numbers were extraordinary because the Lafayette defense pressured him, sacked and/or hit him often, and intercepted two of his passes.
He had no choice but to pass, because the Rams limited the Lions to a paltry 29 yards on 15 rushes. Taylen Eady, who had five receptions for 105 yards, was his favorite target as always.
Lafayette scored first on Clark Canova’s 40-yard field goal. Warhill struck back on the first play after the kickoff as Eady turned a short pass from Francisque into a 66-yard touchdown by weaving his way through the Lafayette defense to give the Lions a 7-3 lead with 5:10 to play in the first quarter.
But Lafayette’s defense continually set up short fields for its offense in the first half and took advantage. Nazeer Wolmart ran for a 1-yard touchdown before Hayden Oleksy threw to Baum Hogge for two points to give the Rams an 11-7 lead on the last play of the first quarter.
Naye’Ron Hudson’s interception set up a 28-yard touchdown run by Wolmart that stretched the Lafayette lead to 17-7 in the second quarter. Francisque completed passes of 14, 31, 19 and 12 yards to set up his 1-yard TD run as the Lions pulled to within 17-13 late in the third quarter.
Canova’s 37-yard field goal gave Lafayette a 20-13 lead, but Francisque tied the game at 20 with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Ron Foskett, Warhill got the ball back at the Rams’ 43 after a punt with 42 seconds remaining, setting up the late-game heroics by Blockett.
The win was the Lions’ second over Lafayette in three seasons after losing the first 16 in series history.
“Our goal from the first was to beat Lafayette and be the first Warhill team to go 10-0, then make states,” Francisque said. “It feels amazing to be one of the few people in Warhill history who is 2-2 against Lafayette.”