Jason Harden returned from injury to rush for 186 yards and two touchdowns to power No. 5 seed Salem (8-3) past fourth-seeded Bayside 28-19 Friday night in a VHSL Class 5 Region A first-round game in Virginia Beach.

“One of the big things we said this year was when we first played Bayside, that was our first L (loss),” SunDevils coach Mark Hall said. “It was our turning point in the season, so we definitely had to come back here and make a statement.”

Harden opened the scoring with a 55-yard dash on the first play from scrimmage, just 14 seconds in.

“I’m known for getting first-down touchdowns,” said Harden, adding that he has missed the last three games. “It’s my first welcome back after being injured.”

Bayside’s Kam Kirby capped the ensuing 11-play drive with a 3-yard TD plunge, but

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