HAMPTON, VA (WTKR)- On a night Hampton honored long-time head coach Mike Smith and his 506 wins, the Crabbers fittingly picked up a victory against a cross-town rival.
Marcus Chapman Jr. threw for two touchdowns and rushed for two more to lead Hampton (7-3) past Bethel, 35-21, Thursday night at Darling Stadium. It marks the 12th straight victory in the series for Woodrow Wilson's squad.
The Crabbers started fast, scoring three touchdowns in the first quarter to put the Bruins in an early 21-0 hole. Bethel (5-4) did not quit, scoring 14 straight points to trim the deficit to 21-14, but Hampton added two crucial scores to slam the door.
Hampton entered the week ranked third in the Region 4A power rankings, 0.17 behind Smithfield. The Crabbers will now wait to learn their postseason seeding as their regular season has come to a close. Bethel began the week ranked No. 6 in Region 5B.
Smith was honored at halftime of the game. He is the first member of the Hampton High School Hall of Fame, after amassing those 506 wins, which are good enough for third all-time nationally. He led the Crabbers to a VHSL record 12 state championships and put together a 506-99-2 record as a head coach.
Elsewhere on the Peninsula, Heritage picked up a win with a 21-10 victory over Kecoughtan at Todd Stadium in Newport News.
