Tigers Enjoy Record Setting Night:? It was a record-setting, night to remember for the Oscar Smith Tigers as they spoiled Senior Night for Great Bridge, defeating the Wildcats 47-17 at Colon L. Hall Stadium to conclude yet another 10-0 perfect regular season.? In winning their 28^th consecutive Southeastern District game, the Tigers won their sixth straight district title and clinched the #1 seed for the upcoming Eastern Region playoffs, where they will host #8 seed Kempsville on November 13^th.?

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"I think we played well.? The kids were really focused for the game, wanted to win this and get a sixth straight [district] title because it's never happened before.? It's a great job by all of them.? We knew that if we came out and executed, some records were going to fall," said Oscar Smith Head Coach Rich Morgan, whose team is now 38-1 in their last 39 games overall.

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Senior quarterback and Alabama commit Phillip Sims threw five touchdown passes, giving him 113 for his career and a new VHSL state record, breaking the mark of 112 set by Adam Morgan of Dinwiddie last year.? Sims completed 15 of 22 passes on the night for 274 yards.? In addition to that record that was broken, Tigers kicker Ryan Trotman booted through five extra points to give him 179 for his career, also a new VHSL state record.

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"It's a great feeling.? To do some of the things we've done as a team, and do some of the things guys have done individually on this team, it's wonderful," remarked Sims afterwards.? "Not too many guys have had the success that some of our players have had.? It's great.? Trot and I got to do it on the same night, so that makes it even more special."

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Jumping out to a 13-0 lead, Oscar Smith saw Great Bridge get on the scoreboard when their quarterback, Brad Hudson, threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to receiver Zach Jones.? Sims then was picked off for the second time of the night on a tipped pass hauled in by Dominique Davis on the following series, giving the Wildcats a chance to tie or take the lead with a less than seven minutes before half-time.? The Oscar Smith defense answered the call, and the offense responded with back-to-back scoring drives before intermission to take a 26-7 lead into the locker room.

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The two scores demoralized Great Bridge going into the second half.? In one half of play alone, the Oscar Smith offense rolled up 287 yards, and remained in high gear in the third quarter by scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions of the second half to extend their lead to 40-7.

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"We were just upset because we gave up a five-yard hitch route for a touchdown, and that never should've happened," Morgan admitted.? "We thought we should've had a shutout and been up a little bit more before we went into half-time, but we made some adjustments at half-time.? Defensively, we gave them fits up front with the pressure we gave.? We finished strong on offense in the first half, which was most important to us."

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Sims = Super, Scintillating, Sensational:? As Dick Vitale, the always energetic ESPN College Basketball analyst would say, "He's super scintillating sensational baby!"? And that he in this case would be Sims, who set two VHSL state passing records during the regular season.? The first was the career passing yardage mark set in October against Deep Creek, and then the touchdown number was achieved in the regular season finale, giving Sims plenty of comfort going into the playoffs to get the records out of the way.

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"I think we got on a hot streak.? We saw some things we had on the first drive that we didn't connect on.? We came back, and guys knew this was a big time game for the Southeastern District Championship.? Everybody was fired up for this one," Sims said.

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Sims also hit another milestone.? By throwing for 274 yards, he went over 10,000 for his illustrious career.? He entered the game with 9760 for his career.? Another record could be broken by Sims in the postseason as he's less than 100 completions away from setting the VHSL mark for career completions.? It's probably a record he will get if the Tigers are to return to the State Championship game and play five playoff contests.

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"I feel like we're coming together as a team and playing our roles.? Phillip sets records and we just try to do our part to help out," said Charlie Ricks, Sims' go-to target throughout the season who caught six balls for 91 yards and 3TD's on Friday night. ?"He knows how to put it there.? All we have to do is run our routes right, and he's going to find an open spot to put it there.? All we have to do is get there and he's going to throw it on the money."

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Humble as usual, Sims gave plenty of credit to his receivers and feels they are silencing any critics they had.

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"They stepped up," Sims said of his wideouts.? "A lot of guys questioned our receiving core coming into this season, and they stepped up big time from the Venice game all the way until now.? We just want to get keep it going heading into the playoffs."

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Just For Kicks:? Last week in a 42-6 victory over Western Branch, Trotman was able to tie Allen Owens of Haysi for most career extra points made in VHSL history with 174.? After the first Oscar Smith touchdown versus Great Bridge, he missed the extra point and a chance to set the record, but as the case has been for years with Oscar Smith, there will be plenty of opportunities and several touchdowns for the kicker to add an extra point on the board following.

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"I was real nervous on my first kick.? Actually, I had one of my worst nights on the season," believed Trotman, who was 5-for-7 on PAT's.? "I'm happy and appreciative though.? My snapper, Rickey Foreman, and my holder, Marquie Mayes, have done a good job.? Everybody's been doing well, the offense is scoring points and I'm glad to get some kicks in and do what I can."

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As for the two extra points, Trotman thinks Coach Morgan will give him a break and not yell at him.? For the time being that is.

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"I think I'm going to get a pass until next week.? I'll need to be perfect next week.? I'll work hard in practice and fix everything," he added.

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On the other side, the Wildcats have a respectable kicker of their own.? Great Bridge's Aric Speziale barely missed a 53-yard field goal in the first quarter, but he drilled a 51-yard field goal on the final play of the third quarter.

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Ricks, Receiving Core Rise Up:? Two years ago, the Tigers had star-studded receiving core dubbed 'The Fantastic Four' or 'Four Horseman.'? It included four Division I-A College Football players in Todd Harrelson (North Carolina), Kerry Boykins (Maryland), Jamal Wilson (Marshall) and Tim Smith (Virginia).? They always delivered, shined on the biggest of stages, and even Smith and Harrelson set receiving records in State Playoff games the last two seasons.

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Those wondering if Sims' production would take a hit with those guys having moved on can stop wondering.

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"We've seen growth all since the summer, and they've been getting better and better and better.? None of them had ever caught a pass on the varsity level before.? We thought as the season grew if you didn't get us early, you weren't going to get us," Morgan remarked.

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"This is the best receiving core around.? [With] Charlie Ricks and Quinta Funderburk, there's not two better receivers in the state of Virginia playing next to each other.? We're as strong offensively as we were last year because tonight J.C. [Coleman] broke out a little bit, too.? I think now we're clicking as well as we did last year going into the playoffs."

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In his first year as a starter, Ricks has truly flourished.? He leads all Eastern Region players with 47 catches and 12 of them have been touchdown receptions.? He's got 764 yards receiving and the possibility exists he'll get to 1000 before the team's 2009 campaign comes to an end.? Funderburk isn't doing too shabby either as his 39 receptions on the year has measured for 819 yards and 8TD's. ?Mayes also stepped forward with four catches for 64 yards and a touchdown versus the Wildcats.

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"We're firing on all cylinders," Sims says.? "We work hard in practice, and I think some of the guys took it as a disrespect factor with people questioning their talent and the talent we have at receiver.? They're walking around with a chip on their shoulder, and they're playing like it now."

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Those thinking you don't have to worry about the run either have to be careful because Coleman, a speedy sophomore, is now 39 yards rushing away from 1000 for the season.? He finished with 15 carries for 116 yards, a touchdown and turned a simple screen pass into a 32-yard touchdown catch-and-run.

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Harassing Hudson:? It was not a horrible night for Hudson, who managed to pass for 237 yards on 15 of 25 passing and had two touchdowns, only one interception.? That being said, the pressure was in his face all night long as he was sacked a season-high seven times.? While some new faces had to be incorporated early in the season, the Tigers' front seven with d-linemen Evan Hailes (Penn State commit), Corey Steward, Dontrell Holmes and linebackers Raysean Richardson, Jeremy Majette and Lamont Hinton caused havoc all night long.

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"Our defense the first game of the season, I think people kind of forgot that Venice High School is #2 in the state of Florida, and we shut them down with a young defense.? And now our defense is growing," Morgan notes. ?"I felt after that Venice game, we're going to be all right because if we can hold Venice to 13, we're going to be okay by the end of the season.? That was a positive sign for us.? Now they're really starting to come together.? We've just got to make a few more plays, not blow a coverage here or there, and then I'll be happy."

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Oscar Smith has held nine of their ten opponents to 13 points or less, giving up only 77 points all year.

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Postgame Audio with Oscar Smith Coach Rich Morgan

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Stats:

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Oscar Smith 47:

Phillip Sims - 15-22 for 274Yds. 5-2TD/Int. ratio

J.C. Coleman - 15Car. 116Yds. TD; 1Rec. 32Yds. TD

Charlie Ricks - 6Rec. 91Yds. 3TD

Quinta Funderburk - 4Rec. 73Yds.

Marquie Mayes - 3Rec. 64Yds. TD

Raysean Richardson - 9 Tackles; 61-Yard Interception

Dontrell Holmes - 6 Tackles, 2 Sacks, QB Hurry

Evan Hailes - 5 Tackles, 2 Sacks, Forced Fumble

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Great Bridge 17:

Brad Hudson - 15-25 for 237Yds. 2-1TD/Int. ratio

Zach Jones - 4Rec. 90Yds. TD

Marc Meier - 4Rec. 79Yds. TD; 5 Tackles, Defensive INT

Trey Bray - 3Rec. 36Yds.

Brian Beard - 6 Tackles, Onside Kick Recovery

Allen-Todd Moore - 6 Tackles

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Matthew Hatfield has covered Eastern Region Basketball & Football since 2004 for VirginiaPreps.com - the #1 High School Sports Site on the Rivals Network.? Check out Hatfield's website - www.matthewhatfield.com - for more on the pro and college sports scene.? To contact Matthew, please e-mail hatfieldsports2k4@yahoo.com, and catch him every Saturday during High School Sports Talk on ESPN Radio 94.1.