NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Maury and Phoebus have been two of the top high school football teams in the state in recent years. Thursday night saw the powerhouses square off against each other for a preseason tune-up.
The Commodores and Phantoms met in a benefit game scrimmage at Powhatan Field in Norfolk with proceeds going to both football programs. Maury was able to earn the 13-0 win, but both teams looked gritty, both defenses played strong and both got some good work out of the exhibition.
"We need this and I feel like they need this before we get our season jumping off," said Commodores' head coach Dyrri McCain. "We've got some good opponents out of the gate, so why not get some work in a scrimmage before we take that four game stretch from Wise to Lake Taylor?"
"When you play against a team that's going to bring the same level of intensity to the ballgame as you are, you're going to be able to test your character," Phoebus head coach Jeremy Blunt added. "You're going to find out when you get into those tough situations right there 'what do we have in us?'"
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Maury scored the first points of the game with a first quarter touchdown and Andrew McClung added two field goals to round out the scoring, one from 46 yards out. The two teams played the second half on a running clock. Powhatan Field wasn't sold out, but it was a great crowd to watch two of the area's best teams get better.
"All-in-all, we did benefit from a healthy scrimmage, I think everybody on both sides came out healthy and that was a big thing, so now we get ready for week one," Blunt said.
"You're talking about two of the better teams in the state of Virginia, so of course it's going to be that," McCain pointed out. "They're used to crowds like this, playoff team, we're used to crowds like this, playoff team, so it's no surprise and I'm glad we were able to put on a show."
Maury is coming off a second straight appearance in the Class 5 state title game, where the Commodores have been in three of the last four seasons, including a state championship win in 2019. Phoebus won the Class 3 state crown in 2021 and 2022 and will be looking to conquer the commonwealth once again as it moves up to Class 4.
Both squads kick off their regular seasons on September 1, Maury at Wise in Maryland and Phoebus at Oscar Smith.
