By Rikki Pepino
LoCoSports Journalist
Leesburg (Nov. 17, 2014) – Braving the frigid cold under the Friday night lights, the No. 1 Tuscarora High School varsity football team cruised to a 54-6 win over No. 16 Thomas Edison High School in the first round of the VHSL 5A North Region playoffs on Nov. 14. With the win, the Huskies improved to 11-0 on the season.
The undefeated Huskies began their attack with a strong offense led by senior running back Noah Reimers who scored on a 35-yard touchdown run just over three minutes into the game.
Reimers then charged 22 yards for another rushing touchdown 30 seconds later, followed by an 11-yard touchdown seven minutes later.
“Reimers is probably the best player on the field right now,” said Tuscarora senior Matt Turner who in charge of the Huskies’ student cheering section, the Tusky Terror. “I lost count of how many touchdowns he had.”
The number was four.
Reimers – who committed to continue his football career at Harvard University next fall – ended the night with 188 yards on just 12 attempts including four scores which added to his team high 2,221 rushing yards this season.
Junior quarterback Daniel Smith completed a 19-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Duron Norris midway through the second frame, increasing the Huskies’ lead to 27-0 as Edison’s senior defensive back Damien Jones Jr. blocked the PAT.
“It was the first round of the playoffs,” Norris said. “We just came out of here and took care of business, let the younger guys go in, and just shut them down.”
To start the second half, Tuscarora quickly intensified their momentum when junior Jonathan Roebuck returned Edison’s second half kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown increasing the Huskies’ lead to 41-0.
The situation continued to get worse for the Eagles as Tuscarora sophomore quarterback Nicholas Kallivokas completed his first career varsity touchdown pass to increase the lead to 47-6.
“I expected to play a little bit,” Kallivokas said. “Coach told me to be ready, and we went out and formed the line. We played well and did everything right.”
Four-and-a-half minutes later, junior running back Mateo Taylor followed up Kallivokas’ score with a 10-yard touchdown run to ice the game, 54-6.
“I think that our record, being 11-0 now, really represents how much we want to work hard this year, especially for Coach Fortune,” said senior Elizabeth Ohmer who also leads the Tusky Terror. “When our winning streak started, we really wanted to keep at it and keep the spirit going as well.”
The Huskies will host the Wakefield High School Warriors in the VHSL 5A North Region quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 21.
“These are the playoffs, and we can’t mess around,” Turner said. “Our guys are going to do a really great job.”
Passing:
Tuscarora
Daniel Smith 7-for-10, 65 yards, 1 TD
Nicholas Kallivokas 4-for-4, 55 yards, 1 TD
Running:
Tuscarora
Noah Reimers 12 carries, 188 yards, 4 TD
Ish Williams 5 carries, 27 yards
Mateo Taylor 5 carries, 5 yards, 1 TD
Nicholas Speroni 2 carries, 8 yards
Daniel Smith 1 carry, 10 yards
Todd Pickett 1 carry, 6 yards
Receiving:
Tuscarora
Noah Reimers 4 receptions, 26 yards
Duron Norris 2 receptions, 30 yards, 1 TD
Jaylin Futrell 2 receptions, 22 yards, 1 TD
Alexander Callis 1 reception, 28 yards
Jordan Fisher 1 reception, 9 yards
Jason Holder 1 reception, 5 yards
Scoring Plays:
1Q 8:33 T Noah Reimers 35-yard TD run (Underhill PAT)
1Q 8:03 T Noah Reimers 22-yard TD run (Underhill PAT)
1Q 1:24 T Noah Reimers 11-yard TD run (Underhill PAT)
2Q 5:28 T Daniel Smith to Duron Norris 19-yard TD pass (PAT blocked)
2Q 1:35 T Noah Reimers 11-yard TD run (Underhill PAT)
3Q 11:41 T Jonathan Roebuck 82-yard TD kickoff return (Underhill PAT)
4Q 11:22 E QB to WR TD pass (PAT missed)
4Q 6:18 T Nick Kallivokas to Jaylin Futrell 22-yard TD pass (PAT missed)
4Q 2:21 T Mateo Taylor 10-yard TD run (Underhill PAT)
Rikki Pepino is a senior at Tuscarora High School in Leesburg and is currently a staff member for the Husky Headline. Follow LoCoSports on Twitter (@LoCoSports) for up-to-date news and scores from around Loudoun County.
