HAMPTON, VA (WTKR)- Entering Monday's practice, Phoebus head coach Jeremy Blunt stressed to his team the championship mentality. It's a mentality that's been working for the Phantoms all season long.
Now the program is close to being the king of Class 3 once again. 2021 saw Phoebus roll to a 14-1 record and a state title. This year's squad has been working to develop its own identity and that includes winning its own state crown.
"They left a great legacy behind and these kids being able to pick up that torch and carry it along, it's a great feeling as a head coach," Blunt said.
The head Phantom has seen his team roll this season. Phoebus is 14-0 and has beaten opponents by an average of 37.8 points per game, using plenty of weapons. Pittsburgh commit Jordan Bass, running back TyReon Taylor and defensive star Mychal McMullin are a few of those playmakers, but the Phantoms will shoot for this year's state championship while missing a pretty big piece to the puzzle. Quarterback Nolan James left early during the team's semifinal win over Brentsville District last weekend with a leg injury and will be sidelined this Saturday.
"It's so much bigger than just he the athlete," Blunt noted. "It's him the person. Nolan's a special person to be around, so my heart hurts for him. He deserves this moment."
"It's disappointing," added James. "I've worked all hard to get this moment and I can't play, but still a part of the team, still got to play the whole season with these guys and now I get to cheer them on and let them do something great."
Just because James can't be on the field doesn't mean he won't be heavily involved in some capacity come Saturday. His leadership and encouragement will go a long way in helping the Phantoms fight for a repeat.
"He's a smart young man, so he'll be out there helping us coach on Saturday," Blunt said.
"Be a leader, encourage my guys," said James of his role. "We've got two quarterbacks, Jayden Earley and Trenton Mitchell. I know they're going to get the job done and lead the offense."
The opponent on the other sideline is one that Blunt and his coaching staff have been waiting for since 2018. That's when Heritage of Lynchburg halted Phoebus's title hopes in the state championship game and Saturday finds the Phantoms with another shot at that program.
"To lose a state championship game and to lose a game that was a winnable game, they outplayed us in the end," Blunt remembered. "We've been looking for an opportunity to get this rematch back and we're excited about it."
The Phantoms take the field looking for a perfect 15-0 season, a 20 game winning streak and back-to-back state titles. It's all just a bus ride and 48 minutes of football away.
"This is what we worked for," James said. "We have goals and this is the last box we've got to check."
"When we line up on that field, we're going to be about our business, as I expect them to be as well," added Blunt. I wouldn't want it any other way."
Phoebus and Heritage kick off at noon at Saturday in the Class 3 state championship game. That contest will be held at Liberty University's Williams Stadium.
