NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The Apprentice School football team put together its most complete performance of the season Saturday, cruising to a 27-7 win over Fork Union Military Academy in front of their home crowd. The Builders scored on offense, defense and special teams while limiting Fork Union to just 68 rushing yards on 36 attempts all afternoon.
Quarterback Trevon Griffin was the catalyst, accounting for a pair of Builder touchdowns. He capped a 7-play, 26-yard scoring drive with an 8-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, then found Keyvon McCloud for a 46-yard touchdown strike in the fourth quarter to put the game away. Griffin finished the day 9-of-12 passing for 166 yards and a touchdown, adding 8 rushing yards on the ground.
McCloud led all receivers with three catches for 78 yards while Baker Green added two grabs for 49 yards. On the ground, Bradley Hebb paced the Builders with 48 yards on 11 carries, and Tali Burgess chipped in 31 more.
Kicker Logan Eastman was money all afternoon, connecting on two field goal attempts (39 and 33 yards) and going 3-for-3 on extra points.
The defense set the tone early. Safety Noah Huff turned in the defensive highlight of the game, picking off a Fork Union pass and returning it 57 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter to put the Builders on the board first. Brandon Church added a interception in the fourth quarter, returning it 20 yards to help seal the win. Up front, Cameron Bassani was a force, racking up 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks, while Chase Johnson terrorized the Fork Union backfield with two sacks of his own. As a team, the Builders defense sacked Fork Union quarterbacks five times and held the visitors to a paltry 1.9 yards per carry.
Special teams played a role too, with Aiden Gerda booming kickoffs for an average of 57.3 yards, pinning Fork Union deep and limiting their return opportunities throughout the game.
The Builders' offense was efficient all afternoon, averaging 5.5 yards per play compared to Fork Union's 2.6, and controlled the game with a balanced, explosive attack through the air and on the ground.
With the win, Apprentice School improves to 2-2 on the season, while Fork Union Military Academy falls to 2-2.
The Builders return to action on Saturday, Sept. 26, when they host Methodist at 1 PM at the Apprentice Athletic Complex
