HIGHLAND SPRINGS, Va. -- Antoine Richardson accounted for 4 touchdowns and the Springer defense held another playoff opponent to less than 10 points as Highland Springs cruised past Indian River 35-8 in a Class 5 state semifinal game.
Richardson connected with Malik Bullock on a 43-yard scoring strike in the first quarter for a 6-0 Springer lead. But when the defense forced the Braves to punt, Bullock took it back 50 yards for another score, changing the dynamic of the rest of the afternoon.
"Anytime you play in a big-time game, you have to have special teams play at a high level," Springers head coach Loren Johnson said after the win. "It was huge to kind of break the game open in the first quarter."
Bullock had 6 receptions for 71 yards and the score. Richardson also connected with Devyn Simmons on a 21-yard scoring strike in the second quarter, the first of two Simmons TD catches on the day, to give the Springers a 20-0 lead at the half.
"To be able to put 35 points on the board in a state semifinal means a lot," Johnson continued. "It speaks a lot to what our team is doing and what we're building."
The Springer defense held their third opponent in four postseason games to 10 points or less, more than they had in the entire regular season.
"Coach (Devo) Simmons does a phenomenal job," Johnson said of his defensive coordinator. "The work that they put in, and the effort that they give throughout the week, is astronomical."
The Springers will now face Maury in next Saturday's Class 5 state title game in Harrisonburg at JMU's Bridgeforth Stadium. The Springers and Commodores have met in each of the last four seasons, splitting four meetings. Maury has won the last two, but the Springers have won all 3 times they have met in the playoffs, including the 2022 state championship.
Johnson will make his 8th title game appearance with the Springers, seeking his 6th state championship.
"I didn't know it was 8," Johnson said. "Wow! We know the opponent that we're playing; we know how good they are. We've got a lot of work to do, but we're going to enjoy this one tonight.
Next Saturday's Class 5 title game will kick off at 5 p.m.
CBS 6 provides Central Virginia with the most experienced local TV sports coverage in town. Count on Lane Casadonte and Sean Robertson for the most in-depth local sports coverage.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
