Monii Burden scored a pair of long touchdowns, and Cesar Ward ran a kick-off back for a TD, and those three big plays were all the Williamsburg offense could muster against Poqouson on rain-soaked James River Field Saturday, but those three big plays proved to be the difference in the nail biter as Williamsburg rallied for a TD with less than a minute to play to defeat the visiting Poqouson Bulls 18 - 12.

The game went to halftime knotted at 0 - 0 following a defensive first half slugfest where Poqouson managed just one first down, and the Hornets only two. The Hornets longest play from scrimmage in the first 2 quarters as an 8-yd run, while Poqouson's was just 5-yds, as both teams bounced back-n-forth at midfield.

In the first half, Linebackers Zach Pope (4-tackles), Michael Burt (3-tackles) and Josh Herslow (3-tackles) were busy gaurding the middle of the field against Poqouson's proven off-tackle running game.

Bryant Walker (3-tackles), Josh Farley (1) and Josh Womeldorf (1) also had their hands full inside fighting off Poqouson blockers to find their way to the ball carrier. The few times that Poqouson tried to go wide, Hunter Brittain (2-tackles) and Burden (3-tackles) were on the spot to stop the Bulls' advances.

The Hornets first play from scrimmage to start the 2nd half though was electric as Burden took a handoff that started right, and then cut back to his left behind blockers Kade Campbell and Carter Weissenfluh to get through the first layer of Bull defenders. Burden then shook off or stiff-armed his way past an additional 6 potential Bull tacklers, picked up a late downfield block from Walker, and ran 44-yds for a TD to put the Hornets up 6 - 0.

On Poqouson's 1st 2nd half play, the Bulls muffed a pitch attempt and Cornerback Garrett Turner (4-tackles) came crashing in to jump on and cover the loose ball for the Hornets. But Williamsburg could do nothing with that opportunity or on their next possession, and the contest moved into the 4th quarter still 6 - 0 with Poqouson starting a possession at the Williamsburg 30-yd line.

The Bulls, then, methodically marched down the field for a score, but on the crucial, potentially game deciding PAT, Hornet defenders Walker, Ward and Herslow converged on the Bull runner inches from the goal line preventing the extra point and keeping the score tied 6 - 6 with 6-minutes to go.

Williamsburg quickly bounced back on the Poqouson kick-off as Ward fielded a clean hop and ran through a gaping hole created by blockers Tyler Neville and Tadic Mielczarek to go 45-yds for a go-ahead score putting the Hornets back in front 12 - 6.

Poqouson then went on an 11-play drive that systematically chewed up the remaining game clock as the Bulls punched in a score with under a minute remaining to tie the game 12 - 12. Once again, on the crucial PAT the Hornets defense stepped up and stuffed the Poqouson play to hold the game even.

Williamsburg then took over from their own 30-yard line with 3-timeouts, and 49-seconds remaining and overtime looming on the short horizon.

The Hornets first three plays from scrimmage generated the uninspired results of a 1-yd run, a loss, and an incomplete pass. But with big play threats in the arsenal ... the game is never over until it's over.

On 4th and 12 from their own 28-yd line the Hornets lined up in what looked like a formation designed to run out the remaining clock. But instead, Ward rolled to his right behind plenty of protection courtesy of hard blocking Adam O'Neill, looked for his 2 receivers running deep 1st down routes, and then decided to throw a short pass to Burden.

Burden hauled in the toss behind a Poquoson player and was off to the first down marker before he encountered a line of Bulls in his path. He weaved, juked, bobbed, darted, dipped, then picked up a chip block from Tight End Pope, and finally, after leaving a path of 7 Bull tacklers in his wake, ran down the home team sideline into the endzone for a 48-yd TD reception to put Williamsburg on top 18 - 12 with 16-seconds to go in the game.

The Hornets defense then shut down Poqouson's final efforts on the Bulls' last 2-plays to preserve the win.