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NORFOLK — Maury’s state title defense began quickly and explosively.
Junior Ahmarian Granger pulled the ball in from a potential handoff and bolted 54 yards down the left sideline on the game’s first play to propel the No. 2 Commodores (1-0) to a 32-8 win over Booker T. Washington on Friday.
Granger and senior EJ Gibson split time at quarterback, with Granger handling the zone-read offense and Gibson the go-to for passing plays. But wherever Granger was, the threat level rose.
In the fourth quarter, which Maury began with just an 11-point advantage, Gibson floated a downfield pass that appeared to be overthrown before Granger extended his right arm to snag the ball and complete a 46-yard touchdown.
Gibson shook off a slow start to finish 7 of 17 for 141 yards and two scores, including a 34-yard touchdown on fourth down to Da’Jon Evans that made it 19-8.
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Almost perfectly balanced, Maury’s offense racked up 300 total yards between 144 passing and 156 rushing.
Senior Demonte Dunlap rushed for 95 yards and two scores, showcasing agility and speed when, in the first quarter trailing 8-6, he shimmied and dashed down the right sideline for another one-play drive of 54 yards to match Granger’s.
The host Bookers hung around for much of the game, converting two fake punts and scoring a defensive touchdown when Rodney Hammond snatched a possible pitch out of the quarterback’s hands and ran in from 10 yards to steal an 8-6 lead.
The score salvaged a quiet night from Hammond, a star running back signed with Pittsburgh, as he had 12 carries for 28 yards against a stout Maury defense.
Overall, Maury held Booker T. to 82 total yards with two turnovers.
Next, Maury prepares for a top-five showdown against No. 3 Lake Taylor at 7 p.m. Friday.
Ray Nimmo, 757-446-2364, ray.nimmo@pilotonline.com