Chronicle photo by David Pennock Jefferson High’s Darius Jones (3) runs down the field, evading tackles, during last Friday’s game against Millbrook. The Cougars fell to the Pioneers 52-13. Jefferson takes on Sherando High tonight at 7 p.m. in Shenandoah Junction.

SHENANDOAH JUNCTION – Millbrook had the better athletes. The Pioneers dominated the line of scrimmage. Isaac Brown and Savon Smith literally owned the game. And when those two swiftest of the Millbrook contingent weren’t scoring, then Gavin Evosirch was.

The Pioneers swiftly and deftly scored with their first five possessions. They ran around the Cougars, ran through the middle of the Cougars, successfully passed when it pleased them, and stunned the crowd gathered for both teams’ opener with a 52-13 win that enabled every Millbrook player dressed to get his feet wet in a varsity game.

Millbrook was ahead, 24-0, after only one quarter. The difference had ballooned to 44-6 by halftime.

After posting eight quick points in the third period, the Pioneer reserves were all the Cougars saw for the rest of the downcast opener.

As if to signal its dominance, Millbrook had quarterback Brown run for 25 yards on its first play. The Pioneers rarely had a play that didn’t net at least five yards. Smith scored the first points, then his quick-to-follow score made it 16-0. As if to show its 175 followers that running wide, through the middle or on misdirection plays, wasn’t all they had the Pioneers had Brown throw 25 yards to Evosirch for a fast-moving 24-0 lead.

Corbin Pierson got Jefferson’s first-half points with a seven-yard keeper.

But Millbrook was right back with three second-quarter scores that pushed its robust lead to 44-6 at halftime.

Brown threw 23 yards to Evosirch, Smith scored on a sweep from the Jefferson 10 and Evosirch ran in from the Cougar 20.

The crowd thinned considerably after the Jefferson band and a dance squad entertained during the lengthy intermission.

Backed to its five after a Jefferson punt, the Pioneers sailed down field on two big-yardage plays. Brown to Evosirch was good for 24 yards and then Noah Robinson got into the offensive act with his 51-yard touchdown run.

Millbrook’s last points – and the last deed of its starters – came when Pierson was sacked in his end zone for a safety. It was 52-6 with little left to the third quarter.

Another Virginia game-winning giant, Sherando, comes to Shenandoah Junction tonight to see if the Cougars have found anything to change their situation.

Brown, Smith, Evosirch and company have left Jefferson County but Sherando brings with it several clones of the same ability.