The Tigers scored 35 first-half points and held on for a 59-35 victory over visiting Chapman, improving to 3-0.
The high-scoring affair included five touchdowns of more than 50 yards – three by the Panthers and two by Blue Ridge – and seven touchdowns of more than 20 yards that included scoring runs of 23 and 27 yards by Blue Ridge sophomore quarterback Ty Montgomery.
“We scored a lot of points and we needed all of them,” said Blue Ridge Head Coach Wade Cooper. “(Chapman) is a talented, explosive team on offense.”
But the Tigers proved to be as explosive.
Blue Ridge scored 21 first-quarter points and built a 35-14 lead by halftime.
Senior running back Mikal Robinson started the fireworks with a 53-yard touchdown for the Tigers and Tay Jenkins took a short pass from Montgomery 56 yards for a score.
Robinson turned in his second-straight 100-yard performance on the ground, finishing with 148 yards on 10 carries. Montgomery, who scored three rushing touchdowns coupled with the scoring pass to Jenkins, ran for 104 yards on 13 carries. He also completed an efficient 20 of 25 passes for 258 yards.
The Tigers rolled up 552 yards in total offense, including 292 on the ground.
Chapman junior receiver Tyshun Samuel caught five passes for 138 yards and three touchdowns, scoring on receptions of 56, 53 and 12 yards from senior quarterback Benjamin Zeigler. Samuel also had another catch-and-run of 56 yards nullified due to a penalty.
Senior running back Traves Smith led all rushers with 151 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns, including a 58-yard romp with 12 seconds to play, for the Panthers.
Chapman (1-2) was hampered by 10 penalties for 66 yards, and Blue Ridge lost two fumbles, but remained perfect on the season heading into the start of the Region II-3A season next week at Eastside.
Jonathan Bull, senior linebacker/running back, who scored on a 2-yard, first-quarter plunge, said opening their home season with a win and protecting their home field is a priority for the Tigers this season after home losses cost them in 2011.
“Our seniors are really putting that forth – we’ve got to protect our home,” Bull said. “We can win on the road because we know how to get of the bus and play football. We did it two weeks in a row and beat two 4A teams, and we have to practice and be ready to win at home.”
Chapman 7 7 7 14 -- 35
Blue Ridge 21 14 0 24 – 59
First Quarter
Blue Ridge – Mikal Robinson 53 run (kick failed), 3 plays, 71 yards.
Chapman – Tyshun Samuel 56 pass from Benjamin Ziegler (David Korneychuk kick), 5 plays, 73 yards.
Blue Ridge – Jonathan Bull 2 run (Brian Garrett pass from Ty Montgomery), 6 plays, 62 yards.
Blue Ridge – Tay Jenkins 56 pass from Montgomery (John Michael Bright kick), 1 play, 56 yards.
Second Quarter
Blue Ridge – Montgomery 1 run (Bright kick), 6 plays 53 yards, 8:52.
Blue Ridge – Montgomery 23 run (Bright kick), 10 plays , 72 yards, 5:48.
Chapman – Samuel 53 pass from Ziegler (Korneychuk kick), 4 plays, 74 yards, 5:08.
Third Quarter
Chapman – Samuel 12 pass from Ziegler (Korneychuk kick), 3 plays, 24 yards, 11:15.
Fourth Quarter
Blue Ridge – Montgomery 27 run (Bright kick), 6 plays, 54 yards, 11:04.
Blue Ridge – Alex Surfus 3-yard punt block return (Bright kick), 9:59.
Blue Ridge – Bright 27 FG, 7:15.
Chapman – Traves Smith 2 run (Korneychuk kick), 8 plays, 73 yards, 4:57.
Blue Ridge – Melvin Smith 15 run (Bright kick), 7 plays 50 yards, :34.
Chapman – Smith 58 run (Korneychuk kick), 1 play 58 yards, :12.