Tyrod Taylor rushing for a 23 yard gain aganist No. 2 LSU.
Taylor wasn't the only attraction of the game. Phoebus had a pair of stars on their sideline as well. There was the flashy Brent Vinson, who now lines up at wide receiver for Tennessee, and Matt Wright, now a redshirt freshman linebacker at Tech.
Leading up to the game I watched as both teams got ready for the battle. Watching Taylor left me awestruck.
As his teammates gathered in a circle and started chanting and jumping up and down, Taylor paced outside that circle, quietly bouncing up and down and bobbing his head.
Suddenly, in one swift move he ripped off his helmet by the facemask and threw it down, letting out a primal yell toward the sky as he did so.
Then he leapt (in full pads no less) onto the center of the circle on top of the mosh pit and crowd surfed his players.
In terms of talking the talk, here was a guy who looked ready to score major revenge. Then he walked the walk, rising to the occasion in the biggest game of his high school career.
In his shot at redemption, he dominated every aspect, shredding a vaunted Phoebus defense with his arm and legs and almost single-handedly willing Hampton to a 29-7 victory. He even tormented the Phantoms on defense, making a demoralizing interception that helped clinch the win while playing on defense.
I left through the gates of the stadium badly wanting Taylor to play for Tech. Thousands of people had just watched this guy rip his archrival's heart out. I was a believer.
Taylor piloted the Crabbers to that 17th state championship, leading the Crabbers to a 15-8 victory over Stone Bridge High School in the final with a 51-yard touchdown run.
Yes, there will be rough spots. The defense, despite this recent blemish, should be good enough to allow him to make the requisite freshman mistakes during the rest of the year.
Usually if true freshmen ever play it's not at a position as scrutinized as quarterback, and not on a team that was predicted to win its conference. Taylor will not only have the weight of teammates' expectations on his shoulders, but those of an entire fan base craving an ACC title and a BCS bowl.
He's not going to be perfect, but if the recent past is any indication of the future, it's going to be a bright one.
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