RICHMOND, Va. — The Thomas Dale Knights took home the Moment of the Year Award at the 2026 RVA Sports Awards on Sunday evening at the Altria Theater in Richmond.
The honor recognized one of the most dramatic finishes in Central Region history — a walk-off 99-yard pick-six by safety Vincente Chavarria Jr. on the final play of a Region 6A semifinal game against Manchester.
The Knights trailed 21-6 before Manchester senior quarterback Landen Abernethy rallied the Lancers with three total touchdowns to tie the game at 21. With one final possession, Abernethy heaved a Hail Mary from the Dale 40-yard line toward the end zone. Chavarria intercepted the pass and, rather than go down and force overtime, took off down the field — faster than his own coach thought he could run — to give Thomas Dale a 27-21 victory and a trip to the next round of the playoffs…