By James J. Lidington
King and Queen’s Malik Holmes passed for 183 yards, rushed for 147 and had a role in four touchdowns as the Royal Tigers topped the homestanding Isle of Wight Academy Chargers 39-14.

IWA’s JT Taylor paced the Chargers with 131 yards rushing and scored a touchdown on the ground, a 67-yard ramble that came on third down and long at their own 33-yard line on their first possession. Kody Kosiorek’s PAT made it 7-0 IWA.

The Tigers returned the favor on their second possession, scoring a 37-yard pass from Holmes to Jaden Stanley. Kicker Fabricio Carcamo tied the game at 7 with 5:40 left in the first period.

After an IWA possession failed to net a first down, King and Queen got the ball back and raced 50 yards in four plays, capping the drive with a Nelson 7-yard run. The PAT made it 14-7 with 2:20 left in the period.

Hoping to avoid recent scoring woes, IWA got the ball back at their own 43, but a Taylor run of 66 yards on first down gave the Chargers first down at the Tigers’ 2. Jackson Cofer’s 2-yard run and Kosiorek kick tied the game at 14 as the quarter ended.

The second half would be literally all King and Queen. A Holmes 47-yard run made the score 20-14.IWA would punt on its ensuing possession, setting the stage for a 70-yard, six-play drive, ending with a 37-yard pass from Holmes to Cameron Graham to make it 26-14 in favor of the Royal Tigers.

After another IWA drive stalled short of a first down, Kam Berry’s 4-yard run with 2:22 before halftime made the score 33-14 going into the second half.

King and Queen would wrap up its scoring when Nelson dashed 7 yards on first and goal to make it 39-14.

King and Queen, from Virginia’s Middle Peninsula region, ran its record to 4-0; IWA falls to 0-3 on the young season. The Royal Tigers rolled up 17 first downs to IWA’s 3. They also generated nearly 450 yards in total offense

The Chargers travel to Chatham on Friday for a matchup against Hargrove Military Academy. Game time is 7 p.m.

The IWA Cross Country Team continued its dominant ways, this time without its vaunted girls team.Stormy weather curtailed the meet to only boys’ teams Thursday at Banner Christian.IWA’s Pierce Cutler finished the 5K course in 19:00 and John Butler finished in 20:47. Jack Lineberry finished in 21:21, Zachary Jackson at 22:40.

The teams performed notably at Saturday’s meet at Walsingham Academy.

IWA’s Hannah Edwards won the girls varsity meet with a time of 21:30.30 and broke her personal record, set on that course in 2018.

Teammate Hailey Whitley sixth with a time of 23:39.1; Hannah McClain finished one spot back at 23:55.6 and eighth-grader Lauren Maust was 12th with a time of 24:40.30.

Butler was the top boys finisher in 29th place with a time of 21:52.50 Jack Lineberry was 49th with a time of 22:46.90.

The team returns to action Thursday when IWA hosts a meet.

The IWA Volleyball Team ran its record to 6-0 with wins Thursday at Fuqua and Tuesday versus Amelia Academy.

The Chargers bested the Falcons 25-15, 25-18 and 25-21 before taking three straight games from the Patriots. The Chargers were set to host Kenston Forest Tuesday with games at 5 and 6 p.m. and will travel to Brunswick Academy Thursday.