Richmond Bandits leave it on the field
Jeremy M. Lazarus | 11/3/2023, 6 p.m.
Three youth football teams from the city-based Richmond Bandits made it to title games in their age brackets, but none came away with a title.
The 6U, 9U and 13U Richmond Bandts fell to opponents in the championships held Saturday and Sunday at Varina High School, said Darryl H. Johnston, who launched the Bandits’ program at the city’s Broad Rock Sports Complex in August.
The 9U team he coaches fell 12-6 to the Henrico-based Richmond Spiders in a thriller that required double overtime before the game was decided.
“We scored a game-winning touchdown, but it was called back for holding,” he said. The Spiders halted the Bandits from any further advances and then scored after regaining the ball to gain the victory and the right to represent the Richmond area in regional play.
The two teams were evenly matched. The Bandits eked out a 7-6 win over the Spiders in their regular season contest.
