Flea Flickers to Fumbles: Charleston dominates district quarterfinal against Chaffee

DeShaun Henderson (30) and Keishundrau Orr (53) lead block during Charleston's 50-14 win over Chaffee in the MSHSAA Class 1, District 1 Tournament at John H. Marshall Field on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.

Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

CHARLESTON, Mo. — In a game that started with a sleepy first half, Charleston awoke with a vengeance, unleashing a rapid-fire scoring spree to secure a 50-16 grilling of Chaffee in the Class 1, District 1 Quarterfinal at John H. Marshall Field on Friday, Nov. 8.

The game turned on its head in the third quarter as the Blue Jays (7-3, 4-1 SEMO South) unleashed a five-touchdown avalanche in mere minutes, turning a narrow halftime lead into an insurmountable advantage.

“I’m glad we woke up in the second half,” said Charleston coach Justin Hutchings. “We weren’t ready for that in the first half. But I’m glad we came together as a team. We got after it. I was proud of their effort and we must carry that into next week.”

Trez Clark (2) runs during Charleston's 50-14 win over Chaffee in the MSHSAA Class 1, District 1 Tournament at John H. Marshall Field on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.

Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

Charleston's start was anything but ideal as the Blue Jays lost a fumble on the first play from scrimmage, a misstep that the Red Devils (1-9, 0-4 Scott-Mississippi) capitalized on with a 15-yard touchdown run by Leyton Hanback, putting the team ahead 7-0 with seven minutes and 54 seconds left in the first quarter.

This early score was a stark contrast to their previous encounter, where Charleston dominated Chaffee 38-0 in Week 2 of the regular season. It appeared the Blue Jays players may have underestimated their opponents, perhaps expecting another easy victory. However, the Red Devils proved they were not going to be pushovers.

“I told our guys it would be a dogfight,” Hutchings said. “[Chaffee coach Jack Altermatt] does a great job of getting his guys prepared, and those kids play tough.”

Chase Kearby (14) sprints for the end zone during Charleston's 50-14 win over Chaffee in the MSHSAA Class 1, District 1 Tournament at John H. Marshall Field on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.

Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

Charleston managed to respond with a score, taking an 8-7 lead after Trez Clark's 3-yard touchdown run with 3:52 left in the first quarter. This touchdown was set up by a crucial 11-yard run by Bernard "Nard-Dawg" Betts on a 4th-and-10.

The Blue Jays’ defense began to assert itself as the game progressed. Vega McKinney delivered a key sack on Chaffee's next drive, and the defensive duo of Tim Frazier and TJ Farries combined to make a stop on fourth down, forcing a turnover on downs.

However, Charleston's offense also faltered, turning the ball back over on downs after Carson Clover deflected a fourth-down pass attempt at the line of scrimmage.

Bernard Betts (1) finds an opening during Charleston's 50-14 win over Chaffee in the MSHSAA Class 1, District 1 Tournament at John H. Marshall Field on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.

Dennis Marshall - Standard-Democrat

Chaffee briefly recaptured the lead with a determined drive, as Logan Horton took a direct snap and powered through the defense for a 6-yard touchdown, putting the Red Devils ahead 14-8 with just 1:47 remaining in the first half.

Yet, the Blue Jays were not content to enter the locker room trailing. With the clock winding down and no timeouts remaining, they engineered a bold and perfectly timed trick play — a flea flicker.

Betts took the snap and handed it off, only for the ball to be tossed back to him. Betts then launched a 39-yard pass to TJ Farries, who caught the ball and broke a tackle before breaking the plane, leaving just 6.4 seconds on the clock.

CJ Kimble (21) stiff arms a defender during Charleston's 50-14 win over Chaffee in the MSHSAA Class 1, District 1 Tournament at John H. Marshall Field on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.

Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

"Our offensive coordinator called a great play," said Hutchings, who admitted he was as surprised as anyone when the flea flicker was dialed up. "[Betts] makes all of the plays and does a great job for us. [Farries] has great hands and found a way to get open. It was an awesome play. They wanted to make a big play for their team, and they did that."

This audacious play not only electrified the crowd but also allowed Charleston to convert another 2-point attempt, securing a 16-14 lead at halftime.

“We had to shake the cobwebs off from a bye week,” Hutchings said. “We went into the locker room at halftime, made the adjustments, and got it figured out. We had to move some guys around on defense to be able to stop that triple-option attack. [Chaffee’s] fullback does a great job lead blocking for the quarterback, and we knew we had to stop that.”

Charleston's halftime adjustments paid immediate dividends, as the Blue Jays dominated the second half. Chaffee's opening drive of the second half ended in a swift three-and-out, setting the stage for an offensive explosion.

In a breathtaking span of just over three minutes, the Blue Jays transformed the game with a relentless barrage of touchdowns.

Clark initiated the scoring spree with a 1-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 22-14 with 6:57 left in the third quarter. The momentum continued to swing in Charleston's favor when Chaffee fumbled on the first play of its next drive, and Julian Rigney pounced on the loose ball.

Seizing the opportunity, Betts executed a dazzling 49-yard quarterback keeper for a touchdown, pushing the score to 28-14 with 6:16 remaining.

The Blue Jays’ aggressive play continued with a successful onside kick, leading to another touchdown by Clark, this time a 38-yard dash, widening the gap to 36-14.

The Red Devils’ offensive woes persisted as they fumbled once more on the first play of their subsequent drive, and Chase Kearby capitalized with a spectacular 39-yard touchdown run, featuring a juke move that left a defender reeling, increasing the lead to 42-14 with 4:12 left in the third quarter.

Charleston’s defense delivered the final blow when Frazier scooped up another fumble and returned it approximately 40 yards for a touchdown. This score, which brought the tally to 50-14 with 3:37 remaining, triggered the mercy rule and initiated a running clock, sealing the emphatic victory.

“The starters took the younger guys off of special teams,” Hutchings said. “They said that they wanted to “Go win,” and our kicker made some great kicks that those guys went down and got. We just kept the snowball rolling.”

The Blue Jays finished with a significant advantage in the rushing game, running 39 times for an impressive 380 yards, while effectively containing the Red Devils to just 123 yards on 40 attempts.

This disparity underscores Charleston's ability to control the game through their running attack, a strategy that has been a hallmark of their success this season. The Blue Jays’ offensive line paved the way for this dominant rushing performance, creating massive holes for the running backs to exploit. The combination of powerful running and effective blocking proved to be too much for the Red Devils to handle.

Leading the charge for Charleston was Clark, who amassed 187 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries. His ability to find gaps in the defense and break through tackles was instrumental in offensive success. Betts also played a pivotal role, rushing seven times for 77 yards and a touchdown while also showcasing his versatility with a 39-yard touchdown pass.

“The guys woke up a little bit when they realized their season was on the line,” Hutchings concluded. “It’s win or go home. We’ll watch some film this weekend, figure out a plan and get after it all week.”

With this decisive victory, Charleston has solidified their position as a strong contender. The Blue Jays will now turn their attention to their next challenge: a semifinal matchup at Crystal City (5-5) on Friday, Nov. 15.

The common opponent factor could provide some insight into the upcoming game. Both teams faced Sikeston, with the Blue Jays securing a 34-12 victory and the Hornets falling 29-18. While this isn't a definitive predictor of future outcomes, it does suggest that Charleston may have a slight advantage based on their head-to-head performance against a common opponent.

However, playoffs are unpredictable, and Crystal City will undoubtedly be eager to prove themselves. Charleston will need to maintain its high level of play to advance to the championship game.