HARRISONBURG, VA (WTKR)- Maury walked off the field at James Madison's Bridgeforth Stadium having made history Saturday afternoon.
The Commodores dominated Briar Woods, 46-0, to claim their second straight Class 5 state championship, marking the first back-to-back state crowns in program history. The victory extends their winning streak to 30 games dating back to last season.
"I'm proud of them," an emotional head coach Dyrri McCain said after the win. "It's hard to see these seniors leave out. They made history enough to forever be remembered in the program, so happy for those guys."
"History," senior quarterback Au'Tori Newkirk said of the legacy his class has left. "That's the only word. History."
Maury wasted no time, scoring on the opening drive as Newkirk connected with Lebron Bond for a 49-yard touchdown to set the tone. Newkirk would add another scoring pass in the frame, a six-yard strike to Jahvon Wiggins, and the Commodores held a 14-0 advantage at the half.
The third quarter saw McCain's group explode on offense as Maury scored 32 points in less than seven minutes. Newkirk began the barrage with a pass to Elijah Moss, who outran everybody to the endzone for a 57-yard touchdown. After Tayshawn Branche added a 10-yard rushing score, Newkirk found another one of his receivers in Damon McDaniel for a 27-yard trip to paydirt. The Commodores capped off the scoring when the Newkirk to Bond connection struck again for a 31-yard touchdown. Maury converted their two point tries after each third quarter touchdown.
Newkirk, who finishes his career 30-0 as the starting quarterback, completed 14 of his 20 pass attempts for 311 yards and five touchdowns. Moss pulled in three receptions for 104 yards and the score, while Bond also caught three big passes for 98 yards, two for touchdowns. Branch picked up 80 rushing yards and found the endzone.
"It's not a one-man show," McCain said. "Everything we do is team. Everything. Coaching staff, players, admin, teachers, community, parents, everything we do is team."
The Commodores have now posted back-to-back 15-0 campaigns and have won three state championships since 2019. Saturday's blanking of Briar Woods marked the team's sixth shutout of the season. The did not allow more than 14 points in a game this year and averaged 52.33 points per game.
