Oscar Smith wins classic Virginia state championship game over Madison: Live updates recap

Madison's Hail Mary has the Warhawks poised to tie, but their long 2-point try is no good
Oscar Smith plays James Madison for the 2024 Class 6 Virginia high school football state championship.
Oscar Smith plays James Madison for the 2024 Class 6 Virginia high school football state championship. / Oscar Smith Football Instagram

Two undefeated teams collide Saturday evening for the Class 6 Virginia high school football state championship.

Oscar Smith and James Madison both enter the game 14-0 and coming off easy wins in the semifinals.

Follow along below for live updates from the championship game between Oscar Smith and James Madison, which is scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. ET Saturday, Dec. 14, at James Madison University.

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

Oscar Smith vs. James Madison, Virginia Class 6 championship game live updates

1ST QUARTER

We're underway! Oscar Smith starts the game on offense.

Oscar Smith into the Madison red zone, nine minutes left.

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Madison stuffs Brandon Nesbit on fourth and short and takes over on its own 13.

BLOCKED PUNT! Jaden Dabbs blocks the punt and Oscar Smith takes over on the Madison 30 with five minutes left. Still scoreless.

TOUCHDOWN OSCAR SMITH! Brandon Nesbit powers his way in from 3 yards out to make it 7-0 Tigers.

FUMBLE! Madison muffs the kickoff and Oscar Smith gets it right back on the Madison 29 with 3:41 left.

Oscar Smith gets a first-down run by Ty'jae Curtis, but a personal foul penalty sends the Tigers back 15 yards.

Shanked punt by Oscar Smith, so Madison takes over on its own 40, less than two minutes left in the quarter, trailing 7-0.

END OF 1ST QUARTER: Oscar Smith 7, Madison 0

2ND QUARTER

Brandon Nesbit gets 3 on fourth and 2 for Oscar Smith, which is at its own 44.

INTERCEPTION! Quincy Dewispelaere picks it off down the sideline on the Madison 35, 8:30 left. Warhawks trailing 7-0.

Na'rod Jarvis with a big sack for Oscar Smith on third and long, so the Tigers get the ball back on the Madison 37 after a nice punt return by Kaden Walker. 6:39 left.

QB Lonnie Andrews punts it to the Madison 28. Defense dominating this first half. 5:31 left, Oscar Smith leading 7-0.

FUMBLE! After a big play by Dominic Knicely to get into the Tigers' red zone, Madison coughs it up on the next play when Breon Dupree knocks it loose and Jordan Rayner recovers on the Oscar Smith 15.

Madison forces a punt and gets it back on its own 35 with 1:10 left, trailing 7-0.

Cael Yates overthrows a wide-open William Smoot that would have been a touchdown. Madison has to punt again. Oscar Smith ball on its own 26 in the waning seconds.

HALFTIME: Oscar Smith 7, Madison 0

3RD QUARTER

Madison starts the second half with the ball on its own 31.

TOUCHDOWN MADISON! That drive was all Dominic Knicely. He makes a big first-down catch, then a 46-yard TD catch-and-run showing off his speed and agility. 7-6 Oscar Smith after the extra point is no good.

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Madison defense steps up again, stuffing Brandon Nesbit for no gain on fourth and 3. Warhawks take over on the Oscar Smith 47, 7:25 left.

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Madison tries a play-action pass on fourth and 1 and it falls incomplete. Oscar Smith ball on its own 38, 5:23, leading 7-6.

Another three-and-out. Luke Salvosa gets a sack on a blitz to force a Tigers punt, which goes out of bounds on the Madison 48 with 3:54 left.

Injury timeout as Dominic Knicely stays down after a run up the middle for Madison.

Tremendous fourth-down play by Cael Yates, who tiptoes the sideline while escaping pressure and finds Kellan Counts for a Warhawks first down at the Oscar Smith 24.

END OF 3RD QUARTER: Oscar Smith 7, Madison 6

4TH QUARTER

Dominic Knicely is back in the game, and he gets a first-down run on third and 4.

TOUCHDOWN MADISON! Dominic Knicely shows his strength on a bullying 7-yard TD run to give the Warhawks their first lead of the game. Illegal motion penalty negates the first two-point conversion, but they convert anyway from 8 yards out. It's 14-7 Madison with 9:29 left. Great catch by Anthony Voinis on the conversion.

Oscar Smith in Madison territory, just under nine minutes left.

Madison stopped Brandon Nesbit again on fourth and short, but an illegal substitution penalty gives Oscar Smith a first down at the Madison 25, seven minutes left.

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Lonnie Andrews gets sacked on fourth and long, then an Oscar Smith penalty tacks on more yards. Madison ball on the Tigers' 42, leading 14-7 with 6:29 left.

Oscar Smith forces a three-and-out, but an excellent punt pins the Tigers on their own 9 with just under five minutes left.

Oscar Smith into Madison territory, just over two minutes left.

TOUCHDOWN OSCAR SMITH! Lonnie Andrews finds Travis Johnson on a short pass, and Johnson does the rest himself on a 27-yard TD catch-and-run. Celebration penalty makes for a 36-yard PAT, which is good. Marco Hernandez with the kick. It's 14-14 with 1:45 left.

FUMBLE! Breon Dupree recovers after he forced the fumble himself with a big hit. Oscar Smith ball on the Madison 46, 1:12 left.

Oscar Smith on the Madison 12 with 29 seconds left.

TOUCHDOWN OSCAR SMITH! Brandon Nesbitt cruises in from 2 yards out and it's 21-14 Tigers with 19 seconds left. PAT banked off the upright and went in.

Madison ball on its own 35 with 14 seconds left, two timeouts remaining.

Hail Mary time. Madison ball on the Oscar Smith 48 with six seconds left. Timeout.

TOUCHDOWN MADISON! Cael Yates hits an inexplicably wide-open Dominic Knicely for a 48-yard TD after Yates bought all kinds of time to make the throw. Incredible.

But an unsportsmanlike penalty on Madison makes for a long PAT to try to tie the game. Timeout Madison.

Madison lines up to go for two from the 18. Oscar Smith timeout.

TWO-POINT TRY NO GOOD! Dominic Knicely makes a diving attempt but can't quite grab it. Oscar Smith wins a classic state championship game.

FINAL: Oscar Smith 21, Madison 20

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Mike Swanson, SBLive Sports
MIKE SWANSON

Mike Swanson is the VP of Content for High School On SI. He's been in journalism since 2003, having worked as a reporter, city editor, copy editor and high school sports editor in California, Connecticut and Oregon.