Blog LIVE Game Blog - Landstown at Kellam

matthew328826 · Monday at 5:37 PM

Greetings from Ammons Athletic Complex at Floyd E. Kellam High School, where for the second time in four nights we have heavy rain and thunderstorms causing a weather delay. We were originally supposed to kick off at 6:30 PM ET, but it won't be until some time after 7 PM ET that we kick off at the earliest.

It does appear that the strong batch of storms are fast moving and will be out of the area shortly.

The Beach District has also moved back its scheduled upcoming games for Thursday and the following Friday to Sept. 1 and Sept. 8 for those that might have missed it as well.

Anyhow, our matchup for tonight should be a good one and we'll be back with updates once we get kicked off...

matthew328826 · Monday at 5:53 PM

As we await for the teams to take the field for warm-ups, we'll allow you to much on our Preview from this game with the Picks...

Landstown at Kellam . . . The Eagles have not won a season opener since 2022, the first season back in his second stint at the helm for Robert Jackson. His Landstown team won a 17-10 battle over Kellam last season, leading 7-3 at the half and leaning on the defense much of the way. While two-time All-Region linebacker Zhakier Simmons is a big part of their formula making tackles and running the ball, there is serious excitement about the upside of junior QB Anthony Turner, one of the most coveted prospects in the nation from the Class of 2028 with offers from LSU, Virginia Tech and a boatload of others.

Kellam is led by Region 5A Offensive Player of the Year Aaron Smith at wide receiver. Smith is committed to play in the ACC at Wake Forest and is a game-changer of sorts, able to take a simple catch underneath to the house. It’s truly one of the best groups of playmakers the Knights have had in years with Brody McLennon, Dekklan Taylor, Kyle Stockunas and Jackson Ames all capable of doing damage in space. This figures to be a higher scoring game than last year’s meeting with quite a bit of passing involved.

Matt Hatfield Says – Landstown 28-16
Coach Ed Young Says – Landstown 16-12
Massey Says – Landstown 27-14

.... Updates to follow on Twitter or X @hatfieldsports

matthew328826 · Monday at 6:50 PM

Landstown's first series ends relatively quickly after a loss of a yard on the first play, a penalty, an incomplete pass and then Rivals 2028 4-Star QB Anthony Turner compleing his first toss of the night for nine yards to Grady Swango. That brings up 4th & 12, meaning the Eagles have to punt it away.

However, on the punt return, Aaron Smith - the dazzling Wake Forest commit for Kellam - coughs the ball up after a few yards on the return. Landstown gets a gift of a second possession at 9:42 on the first quarter clock at the Knights 33-yard line.

matthew328826 · Monday at 6:53 PM

The second series didn't result in any points for Landstown. Following a 10-yard completion from Anthony Turner to Grady Swango, the Eagles get stymied by the Kellam defense. Zhakier Simmons rushes for six yards, but then Turner loses a couple on a run play. Following a 5-yard completion to Kaeleb Gilchrist, it brings up 4tth & 1 from the 14 of Kellam for Landstown. Turner is stopped for a loss of three with Sam Frasier making the sack for the Knights.

Kellam now takes over with just a little over eight minutes to go in the opening period from their own 17.

matthew328826 · Monday at 6:54 PM

Nice drive working for Kellam now as they are facing a 4th & 4 from the Landstown 14 with 2:08 to go in the opening stanza, talking things over after a time-out that came moments following an encroachment penalty by the Eagles. This is the 13th play of a methodical Knights drive that has come not by running the ball, but rather with short to intermediate pass plays.

You know who Coach Brian Neas is probably going to on this play? That Wake Forest commit, WR Aaron Smith, the reigning Region 5A Offensive Player of the Year.

matthew328826 · Monday at 6:56 PM

Beautifully placed ball by Knights senior QB Drew McEntarfer, who went 7 of 10 for 74 yards on the drive, completing passes to four different receivers. Aaron Smith, who had a Larry Fitzgerald-like TD catch in the back of the end zone, hauled in two of those receptions. So too did the likes of WR Brody McLennon and RB Gael Cueller. Junior slot Dekklan Taylor also had a nice 17-yard catch on the drive.

McEntarfer has gotten a lot better from last season to now and has better grasp of the offense with Kellam doing a really good job so far of spreading the field horizontally on this Landstown defense that's trying to figure them out.

matthew328826 · Monday at 7:10 PM

Landstown goes 3 & out as they are unable to do anything following a 19-yard kickoff return from Kaeleb Gilchrist. They get a 6-yard completion to Taylor Eaton-Simmons, a no gain on a run play and then the 3rd & 4 ends up being another stop made by the Kellam defense with Turner unable to move the sticks on the move.

Nathan Flores and Sam Frasier are doing fine work up front for the Kellam defense.

he Knights get the ball back at their own 25 with 25 seconds to go in the opening frame after the Landstown punt.

matthew328826 · Monday at 7:11 PM

Kellam ends up punting it back to the Eagles after their drive stalls out when Kyler Stockunas is stopped for a short gain by AJ Freeman on 3rd & 3. Landstown fair catches the punt at their own 28 with 11:03 to go in the second quarter.

matthew328826 · Monday at 7:23 PM

Big response by Landstown with a long drive of their own where Anthony Turner showed why he's one of the more highly recruited quarterbacks in the country from the Class of 2028. Drayce Drakeford had the big chunk reception on the series on a 32-yarder right before the TD happened with Grady Swango, the Cox transfer who is being courted by several D-1 / FBS programs.

matthew328826 · Monday at 7:28 PM

Landstown's defense has gotten a handle on the Kellam offense now. Cartier Crump begins the series wit ha pass breakup and then the Knights lose two yards on a pass to the far side of the field near Landstown's sideline. That brings up 3rd & 12. Following Kellam's first penalty of the night, it's Eagles defensive lineman Jerry Knight batting down a pass at the line of scrimmiage.

A low snap on the punt puts Kellam's Aaron Smith in trouble. He is unable to get it off and tries to run away from trouble, though it turns into a 10-yard loss.

Landstown is quickly in business, at the Knights 16-yard line with 7:04 to go in the first half.

matthew328826 · Monday at 7:28 PM

Given possession in the red zone, it does not take long for Landstown to strike. A scramble of 15 yards by Anthony Turner sets up the guy known as Bear for his first TD appearance of the 2026 campaign.

matthew328826 · Monday at 7:42 PM

Landstown has now rattled off 18 unanswered points after falling behind early in this one.

However, the Eagles are 0 for 3 on the PAT / 2-point tries.

Robert Jackson's Eagles got possession when Cartier Crump at corner intercepted the pass out of the Trips formation Kellam ran.

Kellam must put together a quality drive before the break to give themselves some life before intermission.

matthew328826 · Monday at 7:48 PM

Not that I'm questioning the decision to go for 2 by Kellam Coach Brian Neas after a fabulous drive by his guys to dig back in before half-time - and keep in mind they get the ball first to begin the 2nd half. But the way both of these offenses can strike with their passing attacks as we expected coming in, they might have been able to go for that 2 in the third or fourth quarter when it was of a need there.

Nonetheless, it's demoralizing for a Landstown defense that had clamped down after the sluggish start, but then showed some issues tackling in space, in particular Kellam WR's Aaron Smith and Brody McLennon. Those two have combined for 64 receiving yards of the 122 Kellam passing yards and I'd be willing to bet that a good portion - better than 50% - have been after the catch. A lot of quick game / screen passes and the Eagles are simply unable to wrap up well enough on initial contact.

A couple of pass interference penalties hurt the Eagles as welll.

Landstown takes a knee to go to half, leading it by five.

matthew328826 · Monday at 7:51 PM

Some half-time numbers in a bit...

matthew328826 · Monday at 7:58 PM

Stats at the Half:

Landstown 18:
Anthony Turner - 11-12 for 127Yds. 2-0 TD/Int. ratio; 5Car. 23Yds.
Grady Swango - 4Rec. 50Yds. 2 TD's
Drayce Drakeford - 3Rec. 48Yds.
Kaeleb Gilchrist - 2Rec. 23Yds.
Zhakier Simmons - 5Car. 12Yds. TD; 3 Tackles, 0.5 TFL
Josiah Law - 5 Tackles (3 Solo)
Carter Crump - 2 Tackles, INT, PBU

Eagles - 27 plays for 166 total yards (15 rushes for 39 yards; 11-12 for 127 yards passing); 0 turnovers; 4 penalties for 34 yards

Kellam 13:
Drew McEntarfer - 14-21 for 122Yds. 1-1 TD/Int. ratio; TD run
Aaron Smith - 5Rec. 41Yds. TD; 5 Tackles (4 Solo)
Brody McLennon - 4Rec. 44Yds.
Dekklan Taylor - 1Rec. 17Yds.
Nathan Flores - 6 Tackles, TFL

Knights - 30 plays for 123 total yards (9 rushes for 1 yard, 1 lost fumble; 14-21 for 122 yards passing, 1 intercept); 2 turnovers; 1 penalty for 5 yards

Quick Correction - Turner actually had 127 yards passing at the break instead of 117 (checked my adding)... so a combined 249 yards through the air by the two signal callers in the first half!

matthew328826 · Monday at 8:09 PM

Kellam begins with decent field position to start the 2nd half, thanks to Brody McLennon's kickoff return to their own 32. Though the Knights really struggled to run the ball in the first half, they come out with an off tackle play and Gael Cuellar busts a 19-yard gain into Landstown territory. The Eagles get a stop behind the line of scirmmage by Ethan Hall to set up 2nd & 11.

But now the Knights are going to air it out on second down from midfield... and to who else?

matthew328826 · Monday at 8:17 PM

Mind-blowing or mind-boggling - whichever one you want to choose - how Landstown's coverage can let the most explosive player on the field beat them as easily as Aaron Smith did on that play. I know Robert Jackson, one of the best veteran coaches in the '757' for decades now, has to be seething on the sidelines. He's the one guy that can beat them, almost literally by himself, and he's pretty much doing it right now.

However, it is not a one-man show. Big props to the games that both QB Drew McEntarfer and WR Brody McLennon are also playing. In addition, the Kellam o-line gave the signal caller good time in the pocket and he's not been sacked pretty much the whole night.

matthew328826 · Monday at 8:22 PM

Just when Landstown was getting ready to possibly answer the Kellam score with one of their own, a bonehead play comes back to bite them.

The Eagles started their drive off with an 11-yard pickup by RB Zhakier 'Bear' Simmons on the ground. That was followed by another nifty catch from Class of 2028 WR Grady Swango courtesy of QB Anthony Turner for 30 yards.

Turner continues to be in a superb groove, completing his next two passes to give him 159 yards passing on the night. More impressively, Turner has connected on 14 straight passes after misfiring on his first of the evening. However, on his 9-yard connection to WR Kaeleb Gilchrist on third down that would've brought up 4th & 2 from the 12, the Eagles lose their cool. Landstown's receiver shoves the Kellam defender out of bounds as the play concluded, pushing them back 15 yards.

On fourth down, Turner's pass over the middle is incomplete. Turnover on downs, and momentum clearly back to Kellam's side.

matthew328826 · Monday at 8:27 PM

Call of the Year by Brian Neas - so far - as they take the slot man in Dekklan Taylor in motion and he tosses to an open Aaron Smith for a touchdown.

It's similar to the play the Knights ran last year in the opener in their rout of First Colonial.

matthew328826 · Monday at 8:36 PM

Landstown is on the move after a Drayce Drakeford catch from QB Anthony Turner. An encroachment penalty on 3rd & 2 by Kellam, a rare self-inflicted mistake by the Knights, gives the Eagles a fresh set of downs.

Grady Swango makes his sixth catch of the night, good for 96 yards, but he got wallopped pretty good on the play by who else? Aaron Smith. He's been sensational.

As terrific as Turner has been, his timing is just hair off on a play here and there, in particular on times when he needs to take off and scramble. James Wright and Brayden Griffiths combine to sack Turner on third down.

On fourth down, the pass is a pinch late for Bear Simmons in the flat on a screen and he is unable to gather it in for a catch.

Now Kellam takes over at their own 48 with 4:!2 to go in the third period, leading by 10. Coach Neas would've signed for that 100 times out of 100 about an hour ago.

matthew328826 · Monday at 8:39 PM

Great pressure off the edge by Jerry Knight, flushing Drew McEntarfer out of the pocket and then it is Landstown two-time All-Region linebacker Zhakier Simmons - son of former Eagles great Deveon Simmons - making a play that can turn this game around in a major way. His 57-yard pick-six brings the Eagles within four.

On the Kellam side of things, a missed opportunity came on a play where McEntarfer had Aaron Smith singled up on the ouside against Kaeleb Gilchrist for what looked like a 54-yard TD connection on 2nd & 6. However, Smith - who makes that play 9 times out of 10 - is unable to haul it in as he hit the ground in the end zone. Smith was shaken up on the play, but was unable to come off the field - with chants of "Aaron, Aaron, Aaron!" from the Kellam student section.

Although they miss the extra point, Landstown now has to feel this is theirs to take if they just simply contain Smith from being the lethal weapon.

matthew328826 · Monday at 8:46 PM

Aaron Smith returned to the field for Kellam on the next series, but following a pair of 3-yard runs from Gael Cuellar, the Knights get forced with a 3rd & 5. They are unable to convert as the pressure off the edge, from unsung hero Jerry Knight, has been more consistent for Landstown in this second half.

Smith, who also punts for the Knights, came limping off the field after his latest punt. Landstown takes over at their own 33 with 33 seconds to go in the third period.

Nathan Vanoostendorp steps up in the secondary to make two critical plays for the Knights. His pass brekaup on first down, with Smith off the field, gave them a sigh of relief. Two plays later, he intercepts an Anthony Turner pass and returns it into Landstown territory.

matthew328826 · Monday at 8:52 PM

On 4th & 6 from the Landstown 41-yard line, Kellam leaves the offense on the field. They don't go to the air in the direction of Aaron Smith or Brody McLennon. Instead, it's a throw on the button from QB Drew McEntarfer to WR Dekklan Taylor, but props to the Landstown defender Kevin Clarke for knocking it out of his hands to break up a completion that would've moved the chains.

We'll see if the Eagles are able to capitalize and take advantage now, trailing it by just four in this back-and-forth affair.

matthew328826 · Monday at 8:56 PM

Kaleb Gilchrist had a 22-yard reception on the play for Landstown that put them in Kellam territory. But the Knights step up and get a real timely takeaway.

matthew328826 · Monday at 9:02 PM

I'll give this to Kaeleb Gilchrist - - he's made up for the mistake with a key INT that now gives Landstown hope of rallying in the closing minutes to spoil the home opener for the Knights.

After moving the chains once though with a 6-yard completion on 3rd & 3 from QB Anthony Turner to WR Grady Swango, the Eagles are unable to do it again on their next third down. Robert Jackson is putting faith in his defense, electing to punt it away with 6:34 to go rather than try to pick up a 4th & 4 from his own 26.

The Eagles punting game does not help them out a ton. Kellam takes over at their own 44 with 6:23 to go, trying to salt this one away with a time-consuming drive that concludes with points.

matthew328826 · Monday at 9:05 PM

This is a tough call right here. Me personally, I'm so conservative I'd likely punt it away. Although, you know the players are trying to convince Coach Neas to keep the offense on the field here.

matthew328826 · Monday at 9:10 PM

A false start penalty on 4th & 2 pushes Kellam back five yards and now Brian Neas decides not to go for it and rather call on the punting team. Aaron Smith shanks the punt as it heads out of bounds - a net of just 7 yards.

Landstown knows it's now or never They have it at their own 46 with 3:45 to play and all three time-outs. Plenty of time.

Can the Kellam defense buckle down against a top-flight QB and quality receivers one more time to secure a home win that many would call an upset?

matthew328826 · Monday at 9:16 PM

3:45 left - Kellam 28, Landstown 24 ...

Landstown gets the drive starting play that they want with a 12-yard reception by Taylor Eaton-Simmons. Moments later, it's Anthony Turner, their star-studded QB, scrambling for 6 yards. A grab by Drayce Drakeford gets the Eagles closer to paydirt.

An injured Kellam player - defensive back Nathan Vanoostendorp - makes the Knights thinner in the secondary on what may be the game's most pivotal possession.

A holding penalty backs Landstown up 10 yards. Then it is consecutive incomplete passes by Turner, the latest being broken up in the end zone by Connor Freakley in the end zone, now has the Eagles facing their biggest obstacle of the game.

It's 4th & 22 from the Kellam 31 with 2:10 to go.

matthew328826 · Monday at 9:22 PM

Anthony Turner rolls to his right and at the very last moment, his primary target Grady Swango flashed open. But as he threw it down the field in the end zone in a tight window, getting a fingertip on it was Aaron Smith. Not sure there is a better all-around playmaker in all of Hampton Roads than that guy headed to Wake Forest.

Tell you what, Turner has a tremendous arm. If he had gotten that out a second or two sooner, it might've been a miraculous TD connection.

But the Eagles still have time to get it back because they have all three time-outs remaining. So this one is NOT over.

matthew328826 · Monday at 9:23 PM

Cash Horner has stepped up and given Kellam a little bit more of a threat in the running game that the Landstown defense has to pay attention to, but the Eagles have been inconsistent in their tackling. It showed up again at the most inopportune time.

matthew328826 · Monday at 9:26 PM

Really entertaining ballgame ... more to come later!

matthew328826 · Tuesday at 6:55 AM

Final Stats:

Kellam Knights 28: (Knights 1-0 Overall)
Aaron Smith - 9Rec. 190Yds. 3TD's; 8 Tackles (7 Solo), PBU
Drew McEntarfer - 17-32 for 192Yds. 2-3 TD/Int. ratio; 3Car. 1Yd. TD
Dekklan Taylor - 1-1 for 69Yds. TD; 1Rec. 17Yds.
Gael Cuellar - 15Car. 56Yds. (13Car. 54Yds. in 2nd Half)
Cash Horner - 7Car. 48Yds.
Brody McLennon - 4Rec. 44Yds.
Nathan Flores - 7 Tackles, TFL

Landstown Eagles 24: (Eagles 0-1 Overall)
Anthony Turner - 24-36 for 234Yds. 2-1 TD/Int. ratio; 9Car. 29Yds.
Grady Swango - 9Rec. 94Yds. 2 TD's
Drayce Drakeford - 6Rec. 72Yds.
Kaeleb Gilchrist - 4Rec. 54Yds.
Taylor Eaton-Simmons - 5Rec. 24Yds.
Zhakier Simmons - 7Car. 23Yds. TD; 57-yard INT TD return

matthew328826 · Tuesday at 6:58 AM

Postgame Video Interview with Kellam WR Aaron Smith:

matthew328826 · Tuesday at 6:59 AM

Postgame Video Interview with Kellam Coach Brian Neas:

Blog LIVE Game Blog - Landstown at Kellam

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