Disciples Win Fifth in a Row

September 26, 2008.

The Disciples recorded their fifth victory of the season in dramatic fashion, overcoming a 19-14 halftime deficit to beat the Chincoteague Ponies 28-19 in a game that was not clinched until the final seconds. Second half touchdowns by Manny McClure and Nate Hollis and a number of clutch plays by the defense secured the victory to keep the Disciples undefeated. Nate Hollis led the way, running for 131 yards on just 16 carries, passing for 52 yards and making several spectacular touchdown-saving tackles.

In spite of the storms that had rolled through the area all week long, the skies were clear at the kickoff and it was a great night for football. The game started 45 minutes late because the Disciples’ charter bus had a tire blow out while going through the second tunnel on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to the Eastern Shore on the way to the game. The team had to wait over an hour for roadside assistance to change the tire.

The Ponies showed from the first play that the Disciples were in for a tough game, taking the opening kickoff and driving to score after eating up over half of the first quarter. Keshawn Harmon, the best running back the Disciples have faced all year, scored on a 4-yard run to finish off the drive. With the extra point kick by quarterback Cole Tyndall, the Ponies took an early 7-0 lead.

The Disciples responded with a powerful drive of their own, taking the ball 72 yards on a 9-play drive that was capped by a bruising 9-yard run up the middle by Ron Robeson for a touchdown. Nate Hollis ran in the 2-point conversion and the Disciples took an 8-7 lead.

Following the kickoff, the Disciples Adrian Gill recovered a fumbled snap on the Ponies first play from scrimmage at the Ponies 35-yard line. A short 4-play drive featured an 18-yard run by Jared Simmons and an 8-yard run on which he scored the Disiple’s second touchdown. The extra point run failed, and the Disciples led 14-7 at the end of the First Quarter.

The Disciples defense held the Ponies on the next drive and forced a punt, but a fumble on the punt return gave the ball back to the Ponies at the Disciples 34-yard line. A short Ponies drive led to another Keshawn Harmon touchdown run, this one from 2 yards out. The Disciples stopped the run attempt for the extra point and held their 14-13 lead, but another Disciples fumble on their next drive gave the Ponies the ball on the Disciples 23 yard line. The Ponies converted a 4th and 2 and then on 3rd and 18 quarterback Cole Tyndall hit Chris Romer for a go-ahead touchdown. The Disciples stopped the extra point attempt, but trailed the Ponies 19-14. The Disciples offense mounted a good drive at the end of the First Half, but was stopped on 4th and 4 at the Ponies 9-yard line. The First Half ended with the Disciples down 19-14.

This was the first game of the season where the Disciples trailed at half time. The coaches pointed out that the team’s play in the first half was marred by turnovers, penalties, dropped passes, missed tackles, missed assignments and other problems uncharacteristic of Disciples football. In a short but fiery half-time pep talk, Coach Hollis challenged the players to step up and play together for the second half. Coach Simmons went over adjustments with the defense to shut down the sweep play and passing plays that the Ponies ran successfully in the First Half. The coaches challenged the offense to score on the first possession of the Second Half and the defense to shut out the Ponies for rest of the game.

The Disciples offense followed the script to perfection on its opening drive of the Second Half, taking the ball 65 yards in 10 plays to score. With strong power running by Nate Hollis, Manny McClure and Ron Robeson, the Disciples moved the ball crisply and McClure scored on a 4-yard run. The pass attempt for the extra point was incomplete, but the Disciples took a narrow 20-19 lead.

The Ponies offense set out to take back the lead on the next drive and almost succeeded. Speedy Keshawn Harmon broke a run from the Disciples 42-yard line and appeared headed for his third touchdown when Nate Hollis caught him from behind with a stunning diving tackle on the 4-yard line. The Disciples defense then stiffened, holding the Ponies out of the end zone on three straight plays. The Ponies attempted to take the lead with a 28-yard field goal, but Manny McClure came streaking in from the left corner untouched and blocked the kick, preserving the one-point Disciples lead.

The Disciples offense then drove deep into Ponies territory, with the key play being a 50-yard run by Nate Hollis. However, the offense bogged down on the Ponies 14-yard line and the Ponies took over on downs near the end of the Third Quarter. This set the stage for a nerve-wracking final 12 minutes of play.

The Disciples defense stopped the Ponies first drive of the Fourth Quarter and forced a punt. The snap went over the Ponies’ punter’s head, but he alertly scooped it up, eluded several tackles and almost made the first down before finally being tackled less than a yard short. The Disciples took over on the Ponies 38-yard line looking for another score to put the Ponies away. They converted a 4th and 10 with a beautiful 18-yard pass from Nate Hollis to Manny McClure, but the drive stalled and a 4th-down quick-kick punt by Nate Hollis gave the Ponies the ball back on their 17-yard line with 5 minutes and 25 seconds to play.

The Disciples defense once again rose to the occasion, forcing a fumble which Ryan Edmounds recovered on the Ponies 37-yard line with less than 5 minutes to play. The clock became a significant factor, leading to a chess match between the coaches with the Disciples using the maximum time on the play clock between plays and the Ponies using their timeouts to stop the clock. After a first down on a strong run by Ron Robeson, the Disciples faced a crucial 4th and 5 from the Ponies 14-yard line with less than a minute to go.

With the Ponies defense stacked at the 14 to stop the run, Nate Hollis broke several tackles at the line of scrimmage and sprinted into the end zone for a touchdown to put the Disciples ahead 26-19 with just 29 seconds to play. With the Ponies potent offense, however, it was critical that the Disciples convert the extra point to put the game out of reach. When Jared Simmons bulled his way into the end zone for the final 2 points, the Disciples led 28-19 and the many Disciples fans who had made the long trek to Chincoteague could finally let out a sigh of relief.

After the game the Disciples and the Ponies teams met at midfield and Coach Hollis praised both teams for a very hard fought, competitive game. The teams then prayed together, with a Ponies player leading both teams in reciting the Lord’s Prayer.

At 7pm on Friday, October 3, the Disciples play the Model School for the Deaf. The game will be Homecoming and Seniors Night, and the Disciples are hoping for a great turnout from all their fans in the Central Virginia homeschool community.

The location of the game is the Disciples home field at Point of Rocks Park, 201 Enon Church Rd, Chester, VA 23831.

Come out and support our undefeated Disciples!

September 25th JV vs Piedmont Christian School

On September 25th, a water-logged Patriots JV Soccer team held their own against Piedmont Christian School. Due to injuries and missing players, the Patriots fielded a 9-man team with no subs against a full team from Piedmont. The rain and wind were steady and hampered both teams. Piedmont scored first, followed by a goal scored by Timothy Pittman, freshman. Hunter Aliceburg, also a freshman, assisted by Timothy, scored to take the lead for the Patriots. Piedmont came back with another goal in the second half, tying the game at 2-2. The last 15 minutes of play provided the chance for goalie Daniel Pittman to show his skill as he was barraged by Piedmont shots and defended the goal successfully each time.

September 23rd Varsity vs Spirit

CVHAA Patriots always enjoy a spirited soccer game against their homeschooled friends from Spirit Athletics. Today's game was well played by both teams; however, the Patriots came out on top with a win of 2:0. Having had 22 shots on goal the 2 scored shots came in the second half, made by Michael Roberts, junior and Zach Smith, freshman. Keeper, Davis Mercer, senior, had 4 saves from Spirit's shots on goal. CVHAA Patriots' team and parents thank all their soccer fans for attending this, and all games. Its always fun to see friends and "catch up" while supporting CVHAA sports.

September 22nd JV vs Richmond Christian School

On September 22nd, the Patriots JV Soccer team played perhaps their best game of the season against their toughest opponent to date. Richmond Christian School proved to be a formidable team to play, and the first half was a back-and-forth scoring game, ending with a 2-2 tie. During the second half, the Patriots played a skillful, coordinated game and scored two more goals, for a final tally of 4-2. Eric Wilkening led the way with a hat trick, and the final goal was scored by Zach Smith. Patriots Defense did a great job of guarding their territory, giving the RCS Warriors few opportunities. Go Patriots!

September 18th JV vs Salem Saints

On September 18th, an energized Patriots JV soccer team faced a younger but spirited team - the Salem Saints. Coach Claude Armstrong encouraged the Patriots to play disciplined ball, controlling their passes and shots. The Patriots did this with excellence, winning 14-1. Hunter Aliceburg led the scorers with a hat trick (3 goals) in the second half. Kevin Kemp and Eric Wilkening scored two goals each, and Luke Routhier, Joseph Armstrong, Zachary Smith, Andrew Dickens, Timothy Pittman, James Dickens, and Connor Tapscott added to the total with 1 goal each. Goalkeeper Daniel Pittman did a fine job protecting the Patriots' goal. Congrats to the JV team for a fine, well-played victory.

September 11th JV vs Richmond Christian School

The Patriots JV won a close game by defeating a team that was every bit their equal. Kevin Kemp scored a goal in the first half to tie the game at 1-1. During a hard-fought second half, Eric Wilkening, sophmore, kicked the winning goal from almost half-field, for a final score of 2-1. Keeper Daniel Pittman, also a sophmore, made seven saves to secure the win.

September 8th JV vs. Spirit

On September 8, the Patriot JV soccer team face their top rival, Spirit. The game was hard-fought and the Patriots were at a disadvantage, having only one substitute on a hot, sunny afternoon. Though Spirit kept their energy up and had plenty of players to give the starters a break, Patriots prevailed with a score of 5-0. Kevin Kemp scored a hat trick (3 goals), and the final tally was upped by Eric Wilkening and Joseph Armstrong with one goal each.

Great job Patriots!

Disciples Win Fourth in a Row

September 20, 2008

The Disciples recorded their fourth victory of the season, scoring three touchdowns in quick succession at the beginning of the Third Quarter to break a halftime 0-0 tie and beat Portsmouth Christian 27-7. The game was reminiscent of last season’s Disciples – Patriot game, which the Disciples won in dramatic fashion by overcoming a 14-0 halftime deficit to win 26-20. Manny McClure led the way with touchdown runs of 59 and 61 yards, and Nate Hollis and Ron Robeson added a touchdown apiece.
The First Half featured strong defensive play by both teams. The Disciples defense held in check the Patriots offense, led by quarterback Josh Pope and wide receiver Jared Jeffers. The Patriots slowed down the Disciples running offense, which came into the game averaging more than 30 points per game with its single-wing, no-huddle offense. The Disciples appeared to have scored on one long touchdown pass from Nate Hollis to Manny McClure, but the officials called a penalty on the Disciples negating the score. On the last play of the First Half, following a long Josh Pope completion, the Disciples defense blocked the Patriots’ field goal attempt.
At halftime the Disciples’ coaches stressed the need for the team to come out and play with heart and emotion in the Second Half. The team did just that, scoring three touchdowns in the first few minutes. On the first play from scrimmage following the kickoff, the Disciples ran a counter sweep to the weak side which worked to perfection. With the defense still keying on stopping the Disciples basic running plays, Manny McClure went in motion, took a handoff going around the weak side and did not stop until he was in the end zone with a 59-yard touchdown run. Kicker Andrew Wells booted the ball through on the extra point to make it 7-0. Following 3 straight incomplete passes by the Patriots, a bad snap on the punt gave the Disciples the ball on the Patriots 16-yard line. On the first play, Nate Hollis burst up the middle for a spectacular touchdown run, breaking a number of tackles as he zigged and zagged into the end zone. The extra point was unsuccessful as Andrew Wells tried to run after a bad snap, and the Disciples led 13-0 after running just two offensive plays.
The Disciples then surprised the Patriots with an onside kick. In what looked like a replay of last week’s successful play against Loudon, the Disciples ran their “Barbarian Invasion” play and the lone Patriots lineman was no match for the eleven motivated Disciples who arrived at his position at the same time as the football. The Disciples eight play drive ended with a 9-yard run by Ron Robeson, and the Andrew Wells kick made it 20-0.
The Patriots mounted their best drive of the game in the waning moments of the Third Quarter, led by the passing and running of quarterback Josh Pope, and on the first play of the Fourth Quarter Pope his receive Jared Jeffers for a 5-yard touchdown. Clayton Evancho kicked the extra point to narrow the Disciples lead to 20-7. On the next drive, however, the Disciples offense put the game out of reach. Running the same play that worked for the first touchdown, Manny McClure went 61 yards for his second touchdown of the night. Andrew Wells converted the extra point and the Disciples led 27-7. The Disciples held on the next Patriots drive, taking over on downs, and the offense ran out the clock.
After being held to just 92 yards of offense in the First Half, the Disciples offense exploded for 230 yards and 4 touchdowns in the Second Half. Playing against one of the most dangerous teams they will face this year, the Disciples defense continually attacked and disrupted the Patriots offense. Patriots quarterback Josh Pope threw the ball extremely well, passing for 156 yards, but was only able to get his team into the end zone one time. Andrew Wells was once again perfect on extra point kicks and gave the Disciples good field position with his kickoffs and punts.
In just their second season, Portsmouth Christian Coach Josh Blalock and his Patriots are a much improved team and gave the Disciples a tough game. The Disciples as always had a great turnout from their enthusiastic and vocal fans. The two teams met a midfield after the game for a time of prayer and fellowship.
As an added bonus for Disciples fans this weekend, Coach Morris Thompson and the Disciples Junior Varsity team played their first ever game on Saturday night at Carver Middle School against the Chesterfield Renegades. Although the team lost 28-0, it was a great opportunity for many of the Disciples younger players to get extensive playing time and it gave the coaching staff an opportunity to work more closely with the next generation of Disciples players. Many of the varsity players showed up to cheer on their teammates.

At 7pm on Friday, September 26, the Disciples play Chincoteague High School at Chincoteague. The next home game is Friday, October 3 at 7:00pm at Point of Rocks Park, 201 Enon Church Rd, Chester, VA 23831.

Come out and support our Disciples!

Disciples Improve to 3-0

September 12, 2008.

On Friday the Central Virginia Homeschool Disciples extended their winning streak to 3 games by beating the significantly improved Loudon Lions 36-6. The start of the game was delayed as the Lions, from Northern Virginia, hit bad traffic and arrived late. Once the game began, however, the Disciples’ aggressive defense and versatile offense paved the way for another convincing victory in front of a large and enthusiastic Disciples home crowd in the team’s first game at Ettrick Park. Nate Hollis, despite playing less than one half on offense, ran for over 100 yards, scored 2 touchdowns and passed for another. Everyone on the defense played well, with virtually every player recording at least one forced fumble, fumble recovery, sack or tackle for a loss.

With last week’s game rained out and Friday’s delayed start, the Disciples got off to a sluggish start in the First Quarter. Both offenses committed turnovers, but Josh Barner scored on a 1-yard run midway through the quarter and with the Andrew Wells’ kick, the Disciples led 7-0. The Lions then scored on a 42-yard fumble recovery and run by Vince Owens to bring the score to 7-6, but the Disciples’ defense held and the run for a two-point conversion was smothered in the backfield. That was the score at the end of the First Quarter.

Early in the Second Quarter the Disciples were driving for another touchdown, following a 34-yard run by Nate Hollis, when they turned the ball over for the third time on a fumble. The defense held the Lions, and following 2 penalties and a sack, the Lions faced 3rd and 34 from their own 13-yard line. As the Disciples’ pass rush again collapsed the pocket, the Lions quarterback threw a pass that Nate Hollis intercepted at the Lions’ 33-yard line. On the following play Nate Hollis ran 33 yards for a touchdown, following blocks at the line of scrimmage and downfield as he ran through and around the Lions defense, even hurdling a defender at the 10-yard line. Andrew Wells, who was once again perfect on extra point kicks for the night, converted the extra point for a 14-6 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Disciples surprised the Lions with a well-executed onside kick. Using a play they developed last year, the kickoff team took off from the huddle instead of spreading out, leaving a stunned Lions player to look up and see the ball bouncing toward him with 11 hard charging Disciples players running full speed right behind it. Following the Disciples’ recovery, a short drive ended with Nate Hollis bursting 42 yards for his second touchdown in just over 2 minutes. With the kick the Disciples led 21-6. When the Lions went for it on 4th down deep in their own territory on the next drive, the Disciples defense held and set up a short field for the offense. This drive ended with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Nate Hollis to Stephen Hale. When the extra point snap was high, the holder Nate Hollis and kicker Andrew Wells improvised, with Hollis hitting Wells in stride as he rolled out into the right flat and out-sprinted the Lions’ defense to the pylon at the goal line for a 2-point conversion, boosting the lead to 29-6. With the defense forcing another fumble deep in Lions territory, the offense scored its fourth touchdown of the quarter with Kenny Ellison running 2 yards for the score. With the extra point the Disciples led 36-6. At that point the Disciples coaches, who had already been substituting frequently, put in the Second Team offense for the remainder of the game.

The Second Half featured more sacks, tackles for losses and takeaways by the Disciples defense, as it repeatedly frustrated any attempt by the Lions offense to put together a drive. The offense moved the ball on several series, but was unable to score. Everyone who dressed for the game got an opportunity to get some playing time.

The Lions team was significantly improved over last year, with bigger lineman and more athletic skill players, and they played hard throughout the game. It was good to see the progress in their program. The Second Half saw some frustration by players on both teams, but after the game the two teams met at midfield for a time of prayer.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! On Friday, September 19, at 7pm the Disciples play Portsmouth Christian at Point of Rock Park, 201 Enon Church Road, Chester, VA.

Come out and support our Disciples!

By Dave Watson

Patriots Varsity Soccer vs West End Crusaders

Friday, September 5th
Point of Rocks Park

The Patriots boys’ varsity soccer team defeated West End in a wet, rainy day Friday to remain undefeated. Daniel Pegram led the way with a hat trick (3 goals) while Kevin Kemp scored twice. Eric Wilkening, Jesse Bogert, and Ryan Milby each put to added one goal. Davis Mercer, goal keeper for the Patriots did a splendid job defending the Patriots’ goal. Thanks to all the parents, who cheered while sitting in the opened back of their vans, dodging Hanna’s raindrops. The soggy Patriot players went home with a final score of 8-1 in their favor, making their record 2 and 0.

Submitted by Daniel Pegram

Patriots JV Soccer vs Salem Christian School

Thursday, September 4th

Goochland


Today the Patriots boys’ JV soccer team faced a very young Salem Baptist School team. In somewhat easy fashion, the Patriots won 6-0 over the less experienced Salem team. Zach Smith scored twice for the Patriots, Hunter Aliceburg scored once, and Joseph Armstrong and Kevin Kemp each added one goal. The Patriots, despite having a small bench (13 players total) were able to use their experience and size to control the ball, and came out on top. Good job team!

Submitted by Daniel Pegram

Disciples Beat Crusaders 41-6

August 30, 2008

On Saturday the Central Virginia Homeschool Disciples extended their record to 2-0 by beating the defending Mid-Atlantic Christian Conference champion Central Maryland Crusaders 41-6 in a battle of two of the MACC’s best homeschool football teams. On a hot, humid afternoon, the well-conditioned Disciples put together a complete game for their enthusiastic fans as the offense, defense and special teams all played well. Nate Hollis, who rushed for 176 yards on just 6 carries, scored 3 touchdowns and passed for another. Jared Simmons and Manny McClure each intercepted 2 passes and Andrew Wells was a perfect 5 for 5 on extra points and 2 for 2 on field goals. In all, the offense rushed for 376 yards on 39 carries and the defense had 6 takeaways and 10 sacks.

The high point for the Crusaders came during their first series. After taking the opening kickoff, the Crusaders’ first drive ended in a touchdown when Andrew Geddie burst up the middle for 48 yards on a delay. The Disciples responded with a 50 yard scoring drive of their own, with Nate Hollis scoring on a 3 yard run. Andrew Wells added the extra point for a 7-6 lead. After the defense stopped the Crusaders on a 3 and out series, the Disciples were driving again when a fumble turned the ball over to the Crusaders. The defense promptly got it back on Jared Simmons’ first interception, and Nate Hollis hit Josh Clements with a quick jump pass for an 18 yard touchdown. Following another extra point by Wells, the Disciples led 14-6 at the end of the 1st Quarter.

The next score came late in the Second Quarter. With just over 2 minutes to go, Manny McClure intercepted a pass and the Disciples took over on their own 17 yard line. Several nice runs put the team on the Crusaders’ 44 yard line with just over a minute to play. As Coach Dave Hollis called to the team, “We need a miracle!” Nate Hollis took the ball up the middle, running over several Crusader defenders, and outran the defense 44 yards for his second touchdown. Another Wells extra point made it 21-6, but the Disciples were not done yet. With 30 seconds to go, Jared Simmons intercepted his second pass at the Crusaders’ 20. A pass from Nate Hollis to Stephen Hale put the ball on the 7 yard line with just seconds to play, and Andrew Wells finished out the first half scoring with a 24-yard field goal for a 24-6 Disciples lead.

During halftime, the coaches stressed the need to finish the game well. The Disciples wasted no time in doing so, scoring on their first drive of the second half on another spectacular run by Nate Hollis. He went 58 yards on a play that featured some good blocking both at the line of scrimmage and downfield. Another Wells extra point extended the lead to 31-6. Throughout the second half the Disciples continued to dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and the coaches increasingly substituted new players.

The 3rd Quarter ended with the Disciples facing a 3rd and Goal on the Crusaders’ 1 yard line. On the first play of the 4th Quarter, Joshua Barner blasted into the end zone and with the Wells extra point the Disciples led 38-6. The last quarter featured continued dominance by the Disciples defense, including interceptions by Adrian Gill and Manny McClure and the recovery of a muffed punt. The second team offense moved the ball the length of the field and Andrew Wells kicked his second field goal of the game, this one from 31 yards, to finish the scoring.

After the game, the two teams met at midfield and players from both teams led a time of prayer.

The Disciples’ coaches were pleased with the team’s play. The team executed the new offense the best they had all year, with the offensive line opening holes and the backs running hard. Other than the one long touchdown run, the Disciples defense held the Crusaders potent offense at bay with their blitzing, attacking style. The area of greatest improvement for the team over last year has been the development of its special teams, especially in the kicking game.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! On Saturday, September 6, at 1pm the Disciples play the Fairfax Kings at Ettrick Park, 20400 Laurel Road, Ettrick, VA.

Come out and support our Disciples!

By Dave Watson