WILLIAMSBURG — This is a team chock-full of playmakers.
Simeon Armbrecht might be down a ways on that depth chart. But the defensive lineman’s deflection and interception was as big a play as any.
“I jumped, got a hand on it and came down with it,” he said.
In a game with few defensive stops, Armbrecht’s third-quarter play helped No. 3 Williamsburg edge No. 4 Mount Vernon, 38-35, in a Class 3A quarterfinal dandy Friday at Bob Murphy Stadium.
“I’m blessed that I got to make it through the season fully healthy,” said Ambrecht, who suffered a torn ACL in the Raiders’ first playoff game last year.
Williamsburg (10-1) will get another crack at No. 2 Solon (10-1) in a semifinal at 7 p.m. next Saturday at the UNI-Dome, Cedar Falls.
Solon outlasted West Delaware, 36-35, Friday. The Spartans defeated Williamsburg, 21-14, in Week 7.
“You always like to get another chance at a team that beats you,” Raiders Coach Curt Ritchie said. “Hopefully, we play better this time.”
Rayce Heitman scored three touchdowns for the Raiders, including the go-ahead score — a 55-yard pass from Derek Weisskopf, which put the Raiders in front, 31-28, with 4:16 left in the third quarter.
Mount Vernon (9-2) began its next drive at its own 29. On the first play, Armbrecht got his mitts on Joey Rhomberg’s pass, which sailed straight up, then straight down into Armbrecht’s hands.
Six plays later, Heitman scored on a 1-yard run to make it 38-28, and the Raiders held on.
“That kid can play football,” Weisskopf said of Heitman.
A future Iowa Hawkeye, Weisskopf completed 9 of 14 passes for 144 yards, and rushed 12 times for 110.
“I’m liking (quarterback),” he said. “I trust that the coaches will put me in the right positions and right places to execute.”
Weisskopf understood that he had been part of a memorable game.
“One of the best I’ve ever been in,” he said. “It’s definitely one game that will jump into my brain and stay there.”
The Raiders prevailed despite surrendering 457 yards, including 315 in the air by Rhomberg.
“I didn’t think anybody could score that many on our defense,” said Ritchie, who will take his third straight team to the UNI-Dome. “They made plays.”
But the Raiders had two key takeaways.
The second was Armbrecht’s. The first — and it was a biggie — came from Heitman.
Mount Vernon led 21-17 late in the first half and had the ball, first and goal at the 5.
Rhomberg fired to the right flat, but Heitman picked it off and returned it to the 14.
“He made a great play on a play that had been good to us all year,” Mount Vernon Coach Lance Pedersen said. “They they were able to drive the field, so it became a 14-point swing.”
Williamsburg marched 90 yards in nine plays, with Weisskopf connecting with John Eichhorn on a 16-yard scoring strike with 0:20 left in the half.
Instead of potentially trailing 28-17 at halftime, Williamsburg led 24-21.
Mount Vernon scored on its first drive of the second half (Jackson Hird did the honors on a 5-yard run) for a 28-24 advantage, but the Raiders answered with their back-to-back TDs, and ultimately advanced.
“It’s tough that this game was in the quarterfinals,” Pedersen said. “Give Williamsburg a lot of credit. They did what they did to win.”
Williamsburg 38, Mount Vernon 35
Class 3A Quarterfinal, at Williamsburg
TEAM STATISTICS
First downs: MV 22, WILL 18
Rushes-yards: MV 27-142, WILL 37-231
Passing yards: MV 315, WILL 144
Passing: MV 19-36-2, WILL 9-14-0
Total yards: MV 457, WILL 375
Fumbles-lost: MV 0-0, WILL 1-1
Punts-average: MV 1-25.0, WILL 2-39.0
Penalties-yards: MV 4-47, WILL 3-17
SCORING SUMMARY
Mount Vernon 7 14 7 7 — 35
Williamsburg 10 14 14 0 — 38
MV — Evan Brase 10 pass from Joey Rhomberg (Bennett Harp kick)
WILL — FG Logan Rethwisch 25
WILL — Rayce Heitman 19 pass from Derek Weisskopf (Rethwisch kick)
MV — Watson Krob 59 pass from Rhomberg (Harp kick)
WILL — Clayten Steckly 29 pass from Weisskopf (Rethwisch kick)
MV — Rhomberg 1 run (Harp kick)
WILL — John Eichhorn 16 pass from Weisskopf (Rethwisch kick)
MV — Jackson Hird 6 run (Harp kick)
WILL — Heitman 55 pass from Weisskopf (Rethwisch kick)
WILL — Heitman 1 run (Rethwisch kick)
MV — Brase 8 pass from Rhomberg (Harp kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Mount Vernon — Jackson Hird 16-96, Joey Rhomberg 9-41, Jase Jaspers 1-4, Evan Brase 1-1. Williamsburg — Derek Weisskopf 12-110, Nile Sinn 15-94, Rayce Heitman 8-37, Team 2-(minus 10).
Passing
Mount Vernon — Rhomberg 19-36-2-315, Williamsburg — Weisskopf 9-14-0-144.
Receiving
Mount Vernon — Brase 9-117, Jaspers 5-79, Watson Krob 2-96, Hird 2-23, Ethan Wood 1-0. Williamsburg — Heitman 4-90, Clayten Steckly 3-35, John Eichhorn 1-16, Braylon Wetjen 1-3.
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