Salem… The Galax Maroon Tide completed an unbelievable season with a 7-6 win over the Riverheads Gladiators to win the the State Group 1A Championship. Senior running back Charles Harris carried the ball 29 times for 175 yards to help key the victory. The Tide defense was the biggest story of the day as they held Riverheads to 33 yards and only one first down the first half.

Riverheads (13-1) finished with five first downs for the contest and finished up with 136 yards rushing and 75 passing. Riverheads had only punted seven times in 13 games, and the Maroon Tide forced them into six on this game alone.

The Maroon Tide (11-4) got their lone score at the 6:31 mark of the opening quarter on a Harris two yard run, and Elijah Harrison point after make it 7-0.

That score stood until the last play of the game when QB Garrett Campbell hit Taz Miller in the flat of the end zone with no time on the clock. The Gladiators then went for two to win the game. After a Maroon Tide timeout, Riverheads QB Campbell rolled out to his right; threw into the corner of the end zone. The ball fell to ground, and the Maroon Tide had secured the state title. Tide head coach Mark Dixon remarked, “I love these six seniors and this ball club. We were 1-4. I didn’t think we would have done this. Our defense played a well of a game and Riverheads is one tough ball club.”

He was then asked, with all the accomplishments he’s had such as going to UVA and playing in the pros with the Miami Dolphins, what this meant to him? Coach Dixon got very emotional and said, “This hasn’t sunk in yet. This means so much to see this group of young men fight and compete to get here. I’m real close to these six seniors. They come in at 6 am and work every day. I will miss these guys.”

G 7 0 0 0-7

R 0 0 0 6-6