Weekend Sports Review: Heinicke cashes in, ODU hits the beach, Hampton beats the buzzer, 3 teams are state-title game bound
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Catching you up on a busy sports weekend in the 757, and here’s hoping I hit those contract incentives …
Show him the money
Taylor Heinicke completed 23 of 30 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns in the Washington Football Team’s fourth consecutive win on Sunday. And those numbers have led to these numbers: $500,000.
That’s how much the former Old Dominion quarterback has earned in incentives during this four-game winning streak. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted Sunday that Heinicke’s contract rewards him $125,000 for every win in which he plays 60% of the snaps.
Heinicke wasn’t perfect Sunday — he threw an interception and was nearly picked off several other times. But he battled, driving the team in range for the game-winning field goal in the final minute.
“I love that dude,” linebacker Cole Holcomb said. “He’s a little baller. He’s a grinder. Doesn’t matter what happens. He goes out there and slings it. If he throws a pick, he shakes it off and let’s go.”
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Goin’ bowlin’
Approximately 742 bowl bids were handed out on Sunday to college football teams … checks notes … make that 88 bowl bids.
Who cares how many, am I right? Old Dominion’s remarkable late-season run — five consecutive wins — was rightly rewarded with a trip to the Myrtle Beach Bowl. The Monarchs (6-6) will play Tulsa (6-6) on Dec. 20 at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN.
The game will be played at Coastal Carolina’s 20,000-seat Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina.
Meanwhile, Virginia will play its final game under coach Bronco Mendenhall at Fenway Park in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl against Southern Methodist, while Virginia Tech and interim coach J.C. Price meet former ACC foe Maryland in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Both games are Dec. 29 on ESPN.
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Video you have to see
Hampton University was in need of a spark early this season, and they should get quite a jolt out of Saturday’s night’s victory over Norfolk State. Russell Dean’s buzzer beater avenged a loss to the Spartans earlier in the week and landed at No. 1 on SportsCenter’s Top Plays.
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for NSU (9-2), which was off to its best start as a Division I program.
The Pirates gave coach Buck Joyner his 200th career victory.
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Road warriors
Old Dominion also got a much-needed win, turning up its defense for a victory over George Mason. The Monarchs (4-5) won their first road game of the season.
“You can have the perfect game plan, but if they’re not out their busting their rear ends, it’s not going to work,” coach Jeff Jones said. “Our guys worked. We really got after it.”
Jaylin Hunter had 16 points, Mekhi Long added 11 points and nine rebounds and Kalu Ezikpe had 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
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National champs!
Christopher Newport University’s women’s soccer team brought home the school’s first national championship in a sport other than indoor or outdoor track.
Sarah Smith scored in the first half, and Riley Cook added a second-half goal in the Captains’ 2-0 victory Saturday over The College of New Jersey.
CNU finished the season 22-0-1, and Cook finished her career as the leading scorer in any NCAA division.
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More winners
Three Hampton Roads football teams will play for Virginia High School League state championships after winning semifinals on Saturday.
Oscar Smith (Class 6) and Maury (Class 5) will play at Old Dominion’s S.B. Ballard Stadium — the first high school state championship games to be played there — on Saturday (schedule below). And Phoebus will play in the Class 3 championship game at Liberty University.
Maury topped Green Run in a sold-out Class 5 semifinal on Saturday, and the Commodores will play for the title just a few long passes from their home at Powhatan Field.
Oscar Smith (yawn) dominated again, this time against Battlefield.
Phoebus crushed Brentsville District despite missing one of its top players.
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To the Bat Cave
The Norfolk Admirals celebrated DC Superheroes Night at Scope — and rewarded one of the best crowds of the season — with a 4-1 victory over Atlanta on Saturday night.
Goalie Dylan Wells made 45 saves as the Admirals wore Batman jerseys and played in front of 3,383 fans.
The Admirals are in the middle of a nine-game homestand that continues at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday against the Florida Everglades.
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What we’re looking forward to this week
Day tbd: The University of Virginia is reportedly closing in on naming a new football coach. Longtime U.Va. writer and columnist Jerry Ratcliffe wrote this weekend that AD Carla Williams interviewed Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott on Saturday and was scheduled to talk to Penn State defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter today.
Tuesday: Old Dominion at William & Mary in men’s basketball, 7 p.m. The Monarchs head up 64 to face a Tribe team that has stumbled to a 1-8 start.
Wednesday: William & Mary at Hampton in women’s basketball, 7 p.m.
Saturday: VCU at Old Dominion in men’s basketball, 8 p.m. Rams vs. Monarchs is always a fun one, and ODU has marked this one as a “White Out” at Chartway Arena.
Saturday: VHSL football state championship games at ODU and Liberty:
Class 6: Oscar Smith vs. James Madison, noon at ODU
Class 5: Maury vs. Stone Bridge, 4:30 p.m. at ODU
Class 3: Phoebus vs. Liberty Christian, 4:30 p.m. at Liberty
Sunday: Norfolk State at Old Dominion in women’s basketball, 2 p.m. The Monarchs are 6-2 and riding a four-game winning streak into this week.
Jami Frankenberry, 757-446-2376, jami.frankenberry@pilotonline.com
