ISLE OF WIGHT—Isle of Wight Academy clinched a Virginia Commonwealth Conference championship with a 47-6 drubbing of Brunswick Academy Friday night.

Both the offense and defense started strong for the Chargers on senior night. Isle of Wight, at 7-1, will make the playoffs after missing the post-season last year.

“Our guys came out and played hard,” said Coach Dale Chapman. “It felt like we had something to prove. I’m as proud of these guys as I can be.”

The win caps a perfect regular season for the Chargers in conference play, but No. 4-ranked Isle of Wight has one more regular season opponent before the post-season begins. The Chargers travel to No. 5 Atlantic Shores at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5.

The Chargers opened the game with a 40-yard pass from Ben Epps to Matt Bratton. Bratton was tackled at the Viking 25-yard line. Isle of Wight scored on the next play, a 25-yard run by Matt Brummett. The kick by Josh Weihe was good and gave the Chargers a 7-0 lead.

Six plays into the next drive, Epps intercepted Carter Rowland and cashed it in for another Charger touchdown. The kick missed this time and Isle of Wight led 13-0 with 7:57 left in the first quarter.

The Charger defense forced a three-and-out on the next Viking series and the home team’s offense took over at the 37-yard line after a punt.

An 18-yard run by Bratton to the one-yard line was negated by a block in the back penalty that set the offense back to 16-yard line. Four plays later, Corie Wells rumbled into the end zone from eight yards out. Weihe’s kick was true and the Chargers took a 20-0 lead with 1:54 left in the first quarter.

Brunswick was once again forced to punt after an unsuccessful nine-play drive that stalled at the Viking 39-yard line with just over 11 minutes left in the first half.

On the ensuing drive, the Chargers moved the ball well on runs by Epps, Brummett, Hunter Triplett and Epps’ passes to Bratton and Jackson Goodman. The drive came to an abrupt halt when Epps was picked off by Dylan Allen at the eight-yard line.

The Charger defense once again forced a Viking three-and-out and a punt, which gave the offense possession with 3:55 left in the second quarter.

The Chargers marched the ball down the field to the tune of 38 yards before Greg Chaffer capped it off with a one-yard touchdown run. Weihe’s kick was good. Georgie Smith smothered a Viking fumble on the next drive and the Chargers took a 27-0 advantage into the half.

Isle of Wight took possession at the Vikings’ 30-yard line and scored on a five-yard scamper by Brummett. The extra point try by Cha Lafave was no good and the Chargers led 33-0.

Brunswick Academy’s Charles Belmonte gave the Vikings their only score of the game as he ran up the middle for 43 yards with 6:42 left in the third quarter. The kick was missed. The Vikings were on the board, but trailing 33-6.

Isle of Wight fumbled on its next possession and the recovery by Allen gave the Vikings the ball at their own 15-yard line, but after three plays Brunswick had to punt.

The Chargers regained possession at the Viking’s 45-yard line. Alex Fronfelter scored from 23 yards out to cap the six-play drive and increase the Charger lead to 40-6 with 9:51 left in the final quarter.

Brunswick coughed up its possession on the ensuing drive and Isle of Wight took over at the Vikings’ 25-yard line. The Chargers’ Gage Rogers and the Vikings’ Belmonte were both ejected during the next drive for throwing punches. Triplett scored from 33 yards out and Lafave converted the extra point to put the Chargers up by the final of 47-6.

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