It seems to follow logically that with a clock control-focused ground game, William Monroe isn’t really built to come from behind.
The Dragons lit that assumption on fire Friday night.
Trailing by 10 at halftime, William Monroe stormed out of the locker room and ripped off 24 unanswered points in the second half to beat Central Woodstock 31-17, securing a home playoff game for the first time since 2016. Monroe will host Skyline next week in the first round of the Region 3B playoffs.
A suffocating defensive effort led by Xzabia Kolpack’s two sacks — Central finished with just 211 yards of total offense and turned it over three times on fumbles — helped drive the second half surge as well as another monster night from Dupree Rucker, who rushed for 290 yards and four touches on 28 carries.
Monroe didn’t control the clock completely like it has during much of this win streak. Instead cashing in quick on turnovers and big plays drove the margin of victory, starting with Rucker’s 70-yard sprint to open the second half that quickly sliced into Central’s 10-point halftime advantage.
Logan Barbour finished with 32 yards on six touches on the ground. The Dragons didn’t turn to the air often, with Jared Knights only attempting five passes. Will Auer had a solid night with a third quarter field goal and four made PATs.
The Dragons will host Skyline in a rematch of a 41-27 win for William Monroe back on October 18. William Monroe will be hunting for its first playoff win since 1991 in that clash.
