PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. — Prince George got a pair of touchdown runs from Lawrence Hewlett and knocked off Hopewell 15-7, sending the Royals into the postseason for the first time in two years.
Hewlett had TD runs of 33 and 3 yards sandwiched around a safety on defense as the Royals beat the Blue Devils for the first time since 2014. Prince George (5-5) began the night just .3 behind Douglas Freeman for the final spot in the Region 5C playoffs, but the Mavericks ended their regular season last week and were idle in week 11.
"It wasn't pretty," said first-year head coach Tom Hall. "But they found a way to win. They rallied together at halftime. I'm really proud of this program and proud for the community."
Hall came to Prince George after 25 very successful years at Manchester and led the Royals to their biggest win total since the abbreviated Covid season of 2021. Their 5 wins this year tied their total wins from the previous three full seasons combined.
"Like I said back in August, this is not going to be the same Prince George," Hall continued. "I told the kids, we're not going to be in the valley forever."
Early projections have Prince George traveling to William Fleming of Roanoke for their first-round game, looking for their first-ever playoff victory.
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