JV Team Wins First Game

JV

October 24, 2008.

On Friday night, the Disciples JV team (players who do not start on the varsity team) won its first –ever victory, beating the Chesterfield Renegades 12-6. Nike Robeson scored the first touchdown of the game on a 32-yard run, and the Disciples had a 6-0 half time lead. The Renegades scored late in the Third Quarter to tie the game 6-6, but the defense preserved the tie with Matt Reber breaking up a pass on the extra point attempt. The Disciples drove for another touchdown on its first possession of the Fourth Quarter, however. On a well-executed wedge play, Thomas Gresham ran 20 yards for the winning score through a confused Renegades defense that didn’t know which Disciples runner had the ball. The defense then stopped the Renegades offense, which had scored 26 points in the first meeting between the team, for a final time, with Jon Watson and Thomas Gresham combining to sack the Renegades quarterback on 4th and 4. The Disciples offense then ran out the clock for the victory.

By Dave Watson

Disciples Beat Bulldogs for Ninth in a Row

October 23, 2008.

A cold Thursday night at Williams Stadium on the Liberty University campus in Lynchburg saw two undefeated 8-0 teams face off, and in the end it was the Disciples who emerged with their undefeated season intact with a 29-13 victory. Playing a disciplined and talented Lynchburg Christian Academy Bulldogs B-Team, the Disciples broke a 13-13 halftime tie as scores by the offense, defense and special teams added up to 16 unanswered second half points. Jonathan Kinker scored the tying and go-ahead touchdowns after two powerful runs. Kyle Robeson added another touchdown run, Ryan Edmonds scored a safety on defense and Manny McClure returned a kickoff for a touchdown. The Disciples ran for 365 yards on the night.

The surprisingly strong turnout of Disciples fans who braved the weather saw one of the best games of the year. The defense played one of its best games, getting stronger as the game went on and dominating the Bulldogs offense in the Second Half, holding it to -2 yards in total offense for the entire Second Half. The Disciples offense displayed great balance, with Manny McClure running for 120 yards on just 10 carries, Jared Simmons running for 113 yards on 14 carries and Kyle Robeson running for 97 yards on 19 carries. The special teams contributed with strong kick coverage and a kickoff return for a touchdown.

The First Quarter began as a defensive standoff, with both defenses forcing punts on the initial drives. On the Bulldogs second drive, however, they opened the scoring with Cody Underwood rushing 31 yards for a touchdown. The extra point kick was no good, but the Bulldogs had a 6-0 lead.

The Disciples offense responded immediately with a 91-yard scoring drive. The key play was a 50-yard run by Manny McClure which featured a devastating downfield block by Adrian Gill that took out two Bulldog defenders. Kyle Robeson finished the drive with a 9-yard run for a touchdown. The Disciples failed to take the lead, however, when the extra point attempt by Andrew Wells struck the left upright and bounced the wrong way and the teams were tied 6-6.

The Bulldogs returned the ensuing kickoff to the 23-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, they ran a trick play with the quarterback throwing a lateral pass to Richard Ferguson, who then threw deep to Andy Rohde for a 77-yard touchdown. The Bulldogs kicked the extra point and led 13-7.

The Disciples turned the ball over on the third play of the next drive, with the Bulldogs recovering a fumble at the Disciples 30-yard line. The Disciples defense responded with a critical stop that changed the momentum of the game. On a 1st and Goal from the 5-yard line, Ron Robeson ripped the ball loose from the Bulldogs runner and Daniel “Sharkbite” Ryan recovered the ball on the 10.

Energized by the defensive stop, the Disciples offense drove 90 yard for the tying touchdown. Jonathan Kinker, who had already converted a critical 4th down, scored the touchdown on a magnificent 2-yard touchdown run. Stopped initially by a wave of Bulldogs defenders at the line of scrimmage, Kinker spun, pushed and drove his way over a number of defenders, carrying them into the endzone for the score. An Andrew Wells extra point tied the score.

The Disciples kickoff team pinned the Bulldogs deep in their territory just before halftime, with Matthew “Mack Truck” Haymon leveling the returner. The Bulldogs offense was unable to move the ball, with Jamie Metzger and Augie Conte teaming up for a sack on the last play, and the teams went into half time with the game tied 13-13.

At half time, Coach Hollis emphasized the importance of teamwork and good technique as the key to beating the Bulldogs, one of the four teams to defeat the Disciples last year.

The Disciples offense began the Second Half with its third strong drive of the game. Using mostly straight ahead power running, the team went 68 yards in 13 plays for the go-ahead touchdown. Jonathan Kinker scored on another impressive power run. The play was stacked up initially at the 5-yard line, but Kinker and the Disciples offensive line drove the Bulldogs defense back 5 yards into the end zone. Andrew Wells converted the extra point kick and the Disciples led 20-13.

The Bulldogs next drive ended at the Disciples 40-yard line, when Jamie Metzger recovered a fumbled snap. The offense drove into Bulldogs territory, but turned the ball over on down at the 34-yard line when they just missed scoring on a 4th down pass into the end zone.

The defense, playing with increased intensity and confidence, pushed the Bulldogs offense backwards on the next drive. Through Bulldogs penalties and a great tackle for a 12-yard loss by Ron Robeson, the Bulldogs found themselves facing a 3rd and 33 from their own 11-yard line. The Disciples secondary blanketed the Bulldogs receivers, and a tackle by Devin Griffin cut short the quarterback’s scramble on the 14.

Following the Bulldogs’ punt, the Disciples drove deep into Bulldogs territory. After a Jared Simmons 22-yard run set up a 1st and Goal at the 7, a Disciples penalty left them with a 3rd and Goal from the 16. Manny McClure hit Josh Clements on a nice pass play, but a good tackle by the Bulldogs safety brought Clements down on the 2. The Disciples went for it on 4th and 2, but the Bulldogs defense stopped the running play at the 1 and the Bulldogs took over on downs.

The Disciples defense again rose to the occasion. With an all-out blitz, the Disciples collapsed the Bulldogs line and Ryan Edmonds tackled the quarterback in the end zone for a safety and a 22-14 Disciples lead. The Disciples then put the game out of reach on the ensuing kickoff, as Manny McClure returned in 60 yards for a touchdown, splitting the final two Bulldogs tacklers and outracing both of them to the end zone. Another Andrew Well extra point closed the scoring, 29-13.

The Disciples defense had one final stop. After a short kickoff, the Bulldogs had 4 straight incomplete passes as time expired. The defense held the Bulldogs to -21 yards total office in the Fourth Quarter, and -2 yard for the entire Second Half.

After the game, the Disciples and the Bulldogs teams met at midfield for prayer together.

By Dave Watson

Disciples Beat the Kings to go 8-0

October 18, 2008.

On a cool and blustery afternoon the Disciples recorded their eighth straight victory by beating the Fairfax Kings 53-13, assuring the team a place in the MidAtlantic Christian Conference championship game. In their last home game and probably the hardest hitting game they’ve played this year, the Disciples offense and defense both played well against a Kings team that was much stronger than last year. Nate Hollis threw touchdown passes of 41 yard to Manny McClure and 66 yards to Josh Clements before leaving in the Second Quarter with a shoulder injury. Manny McClure scored 4 touchdowns and intercepted 3 passes on defense. Jared Simmons rushed for a Disciples record 191 yards on just 13 carries, scored a touchdown and led the defense with 8 tackles. Overall, the Disciples offense gained 388 yards rushing and 110 passing. Numerous players contributed on offense, defense and special teams to a total team victory. The Disciples were cheered on with a great turnout of their hardy fans who braved the weather and saw another impressive victory.

The Disciples dedicated this game to their teammate Shawn “Maco” Estes, who is in the hospital and missed the game. Coach Dave Hollis called Shawn during the team’s pre-game warmup so he could join his teammates in reciting their battle cry/ team prayer. After the game, everyone on the team autographed a game ball to send Maco.

The game got off to an exciting start, as the Disciples special teams forced a turnover on the opening kickoff. Ron Robeson stripped the ball from the Kings’ return man and his brother Kyle recovering the fumble at the Disciples 38-yard line. A 12-play Disciples drive stalled at the Kings 35-yard line, however, and the offense turned it over on downs. The Disciples defense got the ball right back when Manny McClure intercepted a pass on the Kings’ second play. The Disciples appeared to be stopped at the Kings 41 on 4th and 12, but Nate Hollis rolled to his right and lofted a pass over the Kings safety to a streaking Manny McClure for a 41-yard touchdown. Andrew “Soccer Man” Wells converted the kick for a 7-0 lead.

The Disciples made another big special teams play on the ensuing kickoff, with Jonathan Kinker tackling the Kings kick returner on the Kings 5-yard line. The Kings offense moved the ball effectively, however, driving into Disciples territory before the defense stiffened and forced a punt. On the Disciples third play, Nate Hollis threw a long pass down the left sideline to Josh Clements, who made a difficult catch while well defended by the Kings cornerback, broke out of the tackle and streaked down the sideline for a 66-yard touchdown. Another Wells extra point made it 14-0.

The Disciples kickoff team came up big again as Stephen Hale took out a blocker and tackled the Kings returner along the team’s sideline. The teams then traded turnovers, with Manny McClure intercepting a Kings pass and then the Kings intercepting a Disciples pass. The Disciples defense made another stop, however, and the Disciples took over on downs. Highlights of the series included Ryan Edmonds stopping the Kings for a 3-yard loss on 3rd down and Ron Robeson tackling the Kings quarterback for a 10-yard loss on 4th down. The Disciples offense then moved down the field swiftly for another touchdown, with Manny McClure running a weak-side sweep 16 yards for the score.

The Kings drove into Disciples territory again on their next drive, but the drive ended when Manny McClure intercepted his third pass of the game and took this one to the house, racing 66 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown. The Kings blocked the extra point attempt, but the Disciples went to halftime with a 27-0 lead.

The Disciples took the second half kickoff and drove the ball 68 yards in 12 plays, ending in a 15-yard touchdown run by Manny McClure, his fourth touchdown of the game. McClure finished the game with 69 yards rushing on just 6 carries. After another 3 and out stop by the Disciples defense and a Kings punt, the Disciples offense overcame a 15-yard penalty that moved the ball back to its own 15-yard line and went 85 yards for another score. On the third play of the drive, the offensive line sprung Jared Simmons into the Kings secondary where he split two tacklers and then outsprinted the Kings defense to the end zone for a 67-yard touchdown run and a 40-0 lead.

The Disciples defense cut short the Kings next series on its second play with another interception. Safety Josh Clements read the Kings quarterback’s eyes, broke quickly to the ball and made a spectacular diving catch in front of the Kings receiver at the 43-yard line right by the Disciples bench.

The Disciples second-team offense entered the game on this series and scored on its first play. The offensive line opened a big hole, and Thomas Gresham burst through and raced 43 yards for a touchdown. Although the extra point was no good, the Disciples extended their lead to 46-0.

On the kickoff Disciples kicker Andrew Wells made a touchdown-saving tackle, but the Kings finished the Third Quarter with their first scoring drive of the game. After driving to the Disciples 34-yard line, the Kings ran a counter play designed to take advantage of the Disciples aggressive pursuit. The Kings offense executed the play well, as Ben Tobias took the handoff and ran around the right end and up the sideline for a 34-yard touchdown.

The Disciples second-team offense immediately responded, driving 70 yards in just 4 plays. Ron Robeson broke through the middle on a 17-yard run for the Disciples final score. Andrew Wells added another extra point, his 5th of the day. With the Disciples substituting a number of players on defense, the Kings mounted another scoring drive, going 71 yards on 9 plays. David Logan scored the touchdown on a strong 11-yard run. Mike Bonnema kicked the extra point to bring the final score to 53-13.

After the game the Disciples and the Eagles teams met at midfield and Coach Hollis praised the Kings for being the hardest hitting team the Disciples have played this year, competing for the entire game. The teams then prayed together, with players on both team leading the teams in prayer.

The Disciples ask that all their fans join the Disciples family in praying for recovery for Shawn Estes and praying that Nate Hollis’s shoulder injury would not be serious and would heal quickly.

By Dave Watson

Disciples Go to 7-0

October 11, 2008.

The Disciples recorded their seventh straight victory by beating the Frederick Eagles 35-0, avenging one of their most difficult losses last year. On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, the Disciples dominated the Eagles on both offense and defense, racing to a 35 point lead before the Eagles registered a first down. Confronting another defense designed to stop his running plays, Nate Hollis completed 5 of 8 passes for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns. Twelve Disciples runners combined for 160 rushing yards. Josh Clements and Manny McClure caught touchdown passes and Jared Simmons, Manny McClure and Kyle Robeson ran for touchdowns. In holding the Eagles scoreless and without a first down until late in the Third Quarter, the defense swarmed to the ball, tackled crisply and thoroughly disrupted the Eagles offense.

From the first practice four years ago, the Disciples vision has been to be a Christ-centered, competitive football team and on Saturday the way the Disciples played was as impressive as the final score. In a week in which Coach Hollis emphasized each night at practice the importance of playing together as a team and playing with character and heart, the Disciples exemplified what it means to play Disciples football. Two of the Disciples leading players from last year, Levi Scott and Mike Durrette, spoke to the team at Thursday’s practice about the importance of playing football the Disciples way and making amends for last year’s defeat. For many of the Disciples’ coaches, players, parents and fans, Saturday’s game was the most impressive and satisfying victory in the team’s four-year history.

The Disciples took the opening kickoff and drove 64 yards. The drive featured two converted 4th down plays, including a 4th and 13 on a spectacular 32-yard pass from Nate Hollis to Manny McClure. Jared Simmons scored the touchdown on a 1-yard run. With the Disciples regular kicker Andrew Wells unavailable, Casey Stephens filled in and kicked the extra point, his first of five in a row. The Disciples defense held the Eagles on 3 and out, the first of many, and the Disciples took over on their own 19-yard line after a punt. The Disciples drove to the Eagles 40-yard line, and on 4th and 7, Nate Hollis hit Josh Clements streaking through the Eagles secondary for a 40-yard touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, the Disciples executed their Barbarian Invasion onside kick play to perfection, recovering the kick on the Eagles 48-yard line. The First Quarter ended with the Disciples ahead 14-0.

After the Disciples turned the ball over on downs at the Eagles 26, the defense got the ball back quickly. On the Eagles second down play, Joe Bowman knocked the ball loose and Ryan Edmounds recovered it. On the Disciples second play, Manny McClure broke a counter weak side sweep for a 23-yard touchdown run, with Jonathan Kinker making a crushing block to clear the way. The Eagles next series was another 3 and out, highlighted with a sack by Jamie Metzger for a 12-yard loss. Following a short punt the Disciples took over on the Eagles 45-yard line. It took the Disciples just 2 plays to score, an 18-yard run by Ron Robeson and a 27-yard run by Kyle Robeson for the score. After Casey Stephens fourth successful extra point kick the Disciples led 28-0. On the next Eagles drive, the Disciples defense smothered a 4th down fake punt attempt and the offense took over on the Eagles 40-yard line. Following an exchange of fumbles, the Disciples scored again on a 55-yard pass from Nate Hollis to Manny McClure with just under 3 minutes to go in the first half. The Disciples defense held the Eagles again on a 3 and out, and the Disciples ended the first half on an 18-yard run by Thomas Gresham.

The Disciples substituted freely in the second half, with every player who dressed for the game getting meaningful playing time, but the team maintained its intensity until the final gun. The Eagles mounted a short drive at the end of the 3rd quarter but it was stopped by a Nate Hollis tackle on 4th down. The Eagles got into scoring position for the only time in the game late in the 4th quarter. A pass interference call gave them a 1st and goal on the Disciples 10-yard line, but the Disciples defense held the Eagles out of the end zone. Jonathan Kinker broke up a 4th-down pass in the end zone to preserve the shutout.

After the game the Disciples and the Eagles teams met at midfield and Coach Hollis praised the Eagles for competing for the entire game. The teams then prayed together, with players on both team leading the teams in prayer.

At 1pm on Saturday, October 18, the Disciples play Fairfax Kings in a makeup of the game that was rained out on September 6. The game will be the Disciples final regular season home game, and they are hoping for a great turnout from all their fans in the Central Virginia homeschool community.

The location of the game is the Disciples backup home field at 20400 Laurel Rd
Ettrick, VA 23803.

Come out and support our undefeated Disciples!

By Dave Watson

Disciples Win Sixth in a Row

October 3, 2008
The Central Virginia Homeschool Disciples offense ran for 363 yards and defeated the Eagles from the Model Secondary School for the Deaf 48-34. Manny McClure carried the ball five times for 113 yards and two touchdowns for the Disciples. He also caught two TD passes from Nate Hollis, who threw for 95 yards and three touchdowns. Josh Clements caught the other touchdown pass, and Jonathan Kinker and Jared Simmons ran for the other two Disciples scores. Andrew Wells was 6 for 6 on extra point kicks. The Eagles got 3 touchdowns from Sean Harden.

October 2nd Patriots vs Evangel

The Varsity Patriots had a goal-fest against a very inexperienced Evangel team, winning 16-1. By the end of the first half, they were up 6-1, completing the job in the second. Ross Koschmeder had 4 goals, as well as Ryan Milby and Kevin Kemp scoring a hat trick each (3 goals). Daniel Pegram added 4 assists in the win. The Patriots are still undefeated and looking great! Come out and see them while you still can!

September 30th Patriots vs Amelia Academy

The Varsity Patriots played a non-league game against Amelia Academy and maintained their winning record on the 30th. The score was lopsided despite Amelia having many good athletes; their players just didn't have much soccer experience. The Patriots capitalized on several fumbled saves by the keeper as well as scoring many other ways for a final score of 13-1. Michael Roberts led the way with 4 goals and Kevin Kemp and Eric Wilkening each added 2. Keep up the win streak Patriots!

September 29th Patriots vs Banner

The Patriots Varsity Soccer team faced Banner for the second time this season on September 29th. Their team improved greatly since our first match in August. CVHAA player Jesse Bogert led the way by scoring the first goal, which was the only score of the first half. Banner followed with a goal in the second half, but then Patriots finished the game well with four more goals. Ross Koschmeder scored two goals and Daniel Pegram and Ryan Milby scored one apiece. Final tally: Patriots 5, Banner 1.

September 15th Patriots vs New Community School

September 15, the Patriots varsity soccer team faced New Community School. This was a non-league game that we scheduled to bring in fresh blood for the Patriots to play. Overall both offense and defense performed very well. Due to Coach Armstrong's unexpected absence for this game, the members of the team were required to call themselves in and out for substitutions. Going into the second half the score was 4 to 0 with the Patriots leading. In the second half New Community began to play rougher and one of their players was awarded a yellow card for his third rough foul. The Patriots played well on offense, scoring 8 goals total. Jesse Bogert, Cailey Smith, Kevin Kemp, Daniel Pegram, and Ryan Milby each scored once, with Michael Roberts leading the way with three goals. The Patriots offense had 32 shots on the goal and the defense allowed only two shots on against their goalie Davis Mercer, none of which scored. All in all the game went well, the abilities of homeschoolers were evident, and our faith was shown by our attempt to competitively deal with the rough play of the opponents.