Top-seeded Dinwiddie proves to be too much to handle and ends Powhatan’s season

It’s a rarity: It happened only three times before the Region 4B tournament started last weekend. The Powhatan Indians (6-5), an eight-seeded road underdog, became the fourth team to hold this vaunted offense below its usual averages, but the Generals prevailed and advanced to the region semifinals with a 28-7 victory that ended Powhatan’s season.

The Indians earned their way to the playoffs in the final week of the regular season with a big 35-7 victory over Richmond City, but that meant they had to face the region’s top team with a chance to win a state title.

Powhatan gave it everything they had and kept the game close despite Dinwiddie recording 530 yards of offense. Dinwiddie’s run game had a lot to do with that yardage, with their ground attack accounting for 335 yards and three touchdowns. However, Powhatan was able to make a number of stops to stay close, with two fumbles by Ben Whitver and Matthew Taylor forced by senior Jameson Britt in his final game as an Indian.

Britt was great in his last outing, also sacking the quarterback twice and finishing with seven tackles.

However, Dinwiddie’s defense was also able to create takeaways, five of which came on passes from Elliott Murphy, who finished with 103 yards on nine completions. In the third quarter, he helped Powhatan complete its only scoring drive, finding Whitver for an 11-yard touchdown pass. Whitver finished his junior season with 94 yards on five receptions.

Head coach Mike Henderson will see 21 seniors leave the program, including his son Matt Henderson. This marked the fifth straight season for the team to finish with a winning record, dating back to their 4-2 finish in the shortened 2020-2021 season.

Dinwiddie now advances to a match against King George on November 23. The winner will go to the regional championship to face the winner of Varina and Huguenot on November 22.