By Aaron Perryman/Scrimmageplay.com Contributor
Albemarle had the ball down just 20-7 late in the first quarter when Brooke Point senior Alex Goodman scooped up a fumble off the turf and ran for a 30-yard touchdown making it 27-7, essentially breaking the will of the Patriots who went on to lose 69-14 to the Black Hawks Friday night.
“We had a great opportunity on an option play to get a big run,” said Albemarle coach Wendell Green. “Sideline was wide open — pitch was perfect — the running back fumbled the ball and to me that was the turning point of the game. If we get that big run, we could [only be down 20-14] at that point. We don’t, and then the touchdowns just started to pile on and we couldn’t stop the bleeding.”
Down 13-0 midway through the first quarter, things were starting to look up for the Patriots (0-10, 0-7 Commonwealth) when senior wide receiver Jordan Hill caught a 26-yard touchdown pass in the right side of the end zone from senior quarterback Andrew Frazier with 1:12 left in the first.
“Jordan made a big play,” Green said. “Unfortunately, he was kind of hampered with injuries this season. Going into this season he was expected to be our big play receiver. He can stretch the field for us.”
As quickly as Albemarle got some momentum on its side, though, it lost it just as fast on just three Black Hawk plays. Senior Brooke Point quarterback Gary Pisall found sophomore wide receiver Alex Figueroa for a 22-yard touchdown strike and a 20-7 lead.
“It’s kind of the story of our season,” Green said. “We kind of came out slow and sputtered in our first couple possessions offensively. [Our] defense gave up a couple big runs early. We got a pretty good spark on the touchdown. We were down 13-7. It was starting to look like we had the momentum on our side.”
Following the fumble recovery for a touchdown, trouble struck again for the Patriots. The Black Hawk defense found the end zone a second time, this time on a 46-yard interception return by senior E. L. Smiling, making the score 34-7.
“We picked up a fumble on the option [that we really] just lucked into,” said Brooke Point coach Jeff Berry of the first defensive touchdown. “And on the interception, E. L. made a nice break on the ball and just took it in for a score. It was nice.”
Albemarle finally got back on the board at the 9:36 mark in the fourth quarter when senior running back Jervon Speller was able to get to the left edge and sprint 10 yards for a touchdown.
“Jervon is a kid that has a lot of speed,” Green said. “He likes to run outside a lot to utilize that speed and at times he’s given us some real big plays this season.”
The night belonged to the Black Hawks though, who scored 55 points in the first half alone on the strength of Pisall, who completed 9-of-13 passes for 203 yards and five scores. Seniors Colbie Smithson, Goodson and Figueroa all caught one touchdown while Smiling added two.
“[The passing game] was nice,” Pisall said. “The wide receivers did well. I just threw the ball and they made plays. It was a good way to end the season and head into the playoffs.”
The Patriots found it tough to move the ball but did find some success through the air. Frazier teamed with sophomore Joe Varaksa to complete 8-of-19 passes for 104 yards. Frazier also ran for 36 yards in the first half before getting banged up.
“Andrew Frazier did a good job,” Green said. “He was basically our top receiver throughout the season. We were forced to put him at quarterback because Joe Varaksa went down a couple games ago with a concussion. [Frazier] still did a great job. [He] throws the ball very well and has good athleticism.”
The Black Hawks (6-4, 4-3 Commonwealth District) will advance to the Group AAA playoffs but do not know who they’ll face yet.
Albemarle’s loss ended a tumultuous season. However, it was one that did not go to waste according to Green.
“Even though we had a winless season, I think [the players] learned a lot of good life lessons,” Green said. “You have to come to work and prepare every day despite what the circumstances are. I think they had fun. I think they had a good brotherhood and camaraderie with their teammates. That’s what they were showing at the end of the game…They had every opportunity to walk away…and they didn’t. I was most proud of the fact that they stuck it out and finished the season.”
Green also wanted to thank Albemarle athletic director Deb Tyson for the chance to coach the team.
