Halfway through the season, the Mathews High School varsity football team is still holding on to its perfect record. The Blue Devils improved to 5-0 on Saturday night with a 15-6 win over Colonial Beach.
Mathews scored in the first and fourth quarters in the hard-fought game against the visiting Drifters. Chris Davis, half of the Devils’ Pony Express running attack, scored both touchdowns on runs of 32 and two yards. He gained 72 rushing yards on 15 carries.
James Pavik, the other Pony in head coach Paul White’s stable, was the top ground gainer for Mathews, picking up 93 yards on 18 carries. He also scored the two-point conversion following Davis’s fourth-quarter touchdown. Tyler Tillman was 1-for-1 in PAT attempts. Dayshon Williamson had 44 yards on eight rushes.
Defensively, the team played well as a unit, executing the game plan against the Drifters’ single wing and spread offenses. Scott Holmberg had an important sack in the second quarter and Davis had a key interception in the fourth quarter. A.J. White also landed a couple of punts that the Drifters were unable to return.
"Colonial Beach is a good football team," White said. "They are physical and play hard. The field conditions were not spectacular, but both teams had to play on the same field."
According to VHSL power point ratings, Mathews is currently tied for third place with Galax among all Virginia Class A, Division I schools with 20.4 points. John I. Burton High School, with a record of 6-0, leads the standings with 21 points, followed by George Wythe High School.
"Being 5-0 is special," White said. "The past two games have been very challenging and physical. Now we enter the second half of our schedule, which is against district teams. Each week, we see a different offense or defense and our coaches and players have done a super job preparing and making adjustments."
This Friday, Mathews will host King and Queen in the Blue Devils’ homecoming game. The Tigers are 1-4, with the team’s only win coming against Surry County.
The following week, Mathews will face its toughest opponent of the season when the Devils travel to King William. The Cavaliers are currently 5-0, outscoring their opponents, 187-57.
Looking ahead to the rest of the regular season, Mathews will host West Point on Oct. 21 and end the regular season with away games at Nandua and Middlesex.