SALEM, Va. -- Rappahannock made history in Salem, capturing the school's first state championship with a dominant 49-14 victory over Rye Cove after outscoring the Eagles 43-0 in the second half.
The Eagles struck first in the opening quarter when Carter Roach-Hodge took a pitch back into the end zone, giving Rye Cove a 7-0 lead.
The Raiders answered on their second drive as Kenneth Madison appeared to be tackled but somehow broke free for a 50-yard touchdown run. A missed extra point left Rappahannock trailing 7-6.
Later in the second quarter, Roach-Hodge battled through the line for his second touchdown of the night, extending Rye Cove's lead to 14-6 at halftime.
The second half belonged entirely to Rappahannock. Raiders quarterback C.J. Kelly Jr. looked like he would be sacked but found a wide-open Christian Destin in the middle of the field. Destin broke outside and nobody could stop him as he reached the goal line, giving the Raiders their first lead of the night at 20-14.
Madison added another touchdown, running right through the defense as Rappahannock's explosive second-half performance sealed the historic victory.
"It's been a long time coming for our program. I'm extremely happy for these guys that it happened with hard workers, great group of seniors that we're gonna miss, but they put in the work, blood, sweat, and tears, and we're extremely excited and elated for this championship," said coach William West.
The Raiders' 43-0 second-half outburst transformed a 14-6 halftime deficit into a convincing 49-14 victory and the program's first state title.
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