Top-ranked Maury defeats Briar Woods to win Virginia Class 5 state title: Live updates recap

Au'tori Hawkins, strong defense leads Commodores to first back-to-back titles

Defensive back Kendall Daniels Jr., a South Carolina commit, is one of three 4-star players back for reigning Virginia Class 5 state champion Maury, the No. 1 team in our initial 2024 Virginia Top 25 High School Football Rankings. / Kendall Daniels Jr. X Page

Another year, another Virginia Class 5 state finals appearance for the undefeated, reigning, defending champion Maury Commodores. But a win over the Briar Woods Falcons at James Madison University would make this season unlike any in the school's 113-year history.

A win would mark the first back-to-back state titles in program history. But the top-ranked Commodores (14-0) face one of the hottest teams in the state in 10-3 Briar Woods.

The Falcons began the season 2-2 before winning eight of their last nine games - including a 28-14 victory over No. 24 L. C. Bird in last week's semifinal. Maury, playing in its fourth consecutive state final and fifth in the last six seasons, got here by ousting No. 7 Green Run, 20-14.

The battle-tested Commodores are loaded with talent. Standout receiver LeBron Bond will join Curt Cignetti's Indiana Hoosiers, while Ari Watford (DE, Clemson), CJ Smith (LB, Maryland) and Kendall Daniels (S, South Carolina) are also headed to major programs. Watford is expected to miss this game after suffering an injury in last week's win.

Two-way star QB-LB Brady Carmical leads the way for Briar Woods - a team that got here despite battling a rash of injuries. In last week's victory, the Navy signee amassed four touchdowns (two rushing, two passing) while also causing a fumble and adding three tackles on defense. He's joined by fellow star linebacker Trey Dudley (6'1, 215), a Syracuse signee, in anchoring the defense.

Follow along below for live updates from the championship game between Maury and Briar Woods, which is scheduled to kick off at 11:30 a.m. ET Saturday, Dec. 14, at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg.

You can also watch this game live on the NFHS Network (subscription required).

Maury vs. Briar Woods, Virginia Class 5 championship game live updates

Wasting no time, we get right to action. Briar Woods kicks off to Maury to open the game. They attempted an onside kick that resulted in penalty. Then followed that with a kickoff out of bounds.

FIRST QUARTER

TOUCHDOWN! Maury strikes fast as WR LeBron Bond takes a slant, breaks a tackle and races to the end zone to make it 7-0 with 11:05 left in the first quarter.

Facing 3rd and long, Briar Woods WR Colin Capistrant goes up over two defenders to haul in a pass from Brady Carmical to move the chains. Briar Woods is moving at Maury's 40 with 6:50 to go.

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Maury comes up with a big defensive stop. Facing fourth and 20 from Maury's 41, Carmical's deep pass to the end zone was swatted away and Maury takes over at its own 41.

Maury is running tempo on offense.

Maury QB Au'tori Newkirk finds WR Elijah Moss for 39 yards. First and goal at the Briar Woods 5.

TOUCHDOWN! On third down at the 6, Maury WR Jahvon Wiggins takes a pass from Newkirk and jogs into the end zone. The kick by Charlie Mccoy makes it 14-0 with 22 seconds left in the first quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

A 40-yard run by Maury QB Au'tori Newkirk is negated by a penalty. That's a big call there for Briar Woods that flips the field, as the play would've given the ball to the Commodores at the Briar Woods 22. Instead, Maury's at its own 40 facing second down. Still 14-0 with 10:23 to go in the half coming off an injury timeout.

Off the timeout, Maury RB Tayshawn Branch bursts through the middle for 55 yards. Finally brought down at the Briar Woods 5.

Au'tori Newkirk scores on a keeper, but an illegal procedure penalty pushes Maury back to its own 6 and negates the play.

TURNOVER! Briar Woods gets the big stop it desperately needed, as LB Trey Dudley picks off Newkirk in the end zone on fourth down.

Briar Woods calls its first timeout of the half facing third down deep in its own territory. The Falcons are searching for answers on offense. Maury's defense has been lights out thus far.

Briar Woods gets another huge break. A tipped pass was picked off by Maury and retured to the Falcons' 12. But defensive holding was called on the play, negating the interception and giving Briar Woods a new set of downs with 6:25 left in the half.

Facing third and long, Briar Woods QB Brady Carmical is sacked by Maury senior linebacker Corey Jacobs for a big loss. Briar Woods punts it back to Maury with 36 seconds left in the half.

LeBron Bond takes the punt 79 yards to to the end zone, but offsetting penalties wipes out the play. Another huge break for Briar Woods.

Briar Woods didn't make the mistake of kicking it to Bond again. A pooch punt downs the ball at Maury's 22 with 6 seconds left in the half.

Halftime notes: Maury 14, Briar Woods 0. Maury's defense has been the difference, so far. The Falcons struggled to move the ball until their final drive of the first half. They'll need to build on that when they open the second half. Maury, meanwhile, has been hurt by penalties. The Commodores had two touchdowns wiped off the board because of penalties in the first half and came away with zero points on both possessions. Newkirk was a perfect 7-for-7 passing in the first half.

THIRD QUARTER

Briar Woods begins the second half at its own 25.

Maury senior DE Leslie Hines, who has been everywhere today, brings down Carmical at the line of scrimmage to force another Briar Woods punt.

TOUCHDOWN! Maury WR Elijah Moss snags a strike from Au'tori Newkirk, breaks a tackle at the 20 and scores from 60 yards. Newkirk passes to WR Kendall Daniels for the conversion and Maury leads 22-0 with 8:14 left in the third.

TOUCHDOWN! Maury's Tayshawn Branche scores on a 10-yard run. Au'tori Newkirk finds Kendall Daniels for another two-point conversion pass and the Commodores lead 30-0 with 5:21 left in the third.

TURNOVER! Maury CB Hunter Collins Jr. picks off a pass at the Briar Woods 39. The Commodores take over there with 4:26 left.

TOUCHDOWN! Au'tori Newkirk finds WR Damon McDaniel Jr. across the middle for 13 yards. Corey Jacobs scores on the conversion and the Commodores lead 38-0 with 2:56 left in the third.

TURNOVER! Right after catching a touchdown, Damon McDaniel Jr. picks off Briar Woods' first pass of the ensuing possession and returns it to the Falcons' 26 with 1:52 left.

TOUCHDOWN! Receiver LeBron Bond hauls in a 31-yard pass from Au'tori Newkirk. Conversion run succeeds and Maury leads 46-0 with 1:31 left in the third.

FOURTH QUARTER

Maury has another TD wiped off the board after an ineligible man downfield penalty negates a double-reverse passing score from WR Kendall Daniels to QB Au'tori Newkirk.

TURNOVER! Briar Woods linebacker Trey Dudley snags his second interception of the day to turn away a Maury score. This time, Dudley makes a diving, one-handed grab at the goal line to give the ball back to the Falcons.

The Maury Commodores made history, recording the program's 40th consecutive victory and first-ever back-to-back Virginia Class 5 state championship in the school's 113-year history.

The Commodores (15-0) were simply dominanty in all phases. Southpaw quarterback Au'tori Newkirk - an uncommitted senior - passed for five touchdowns, including two to receiver LeBron Bond. Damon McDaniel Jr. had a receiving touchdown and an interception for the Commodores.

Trey Dudley led Briar Woods with two interceptions.

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