Suddenly, Albemalre’s offense woke up and looked a lot more like it did during preseason practice.
“A couple of weeks ago I was pretty down because normally we like to throw the ball,” said Albemarle coach Mike Alley. “I’m just happy for (junior quarterback Lee Carneal). He finally was able to throw the ball a little tonight”
With an impressive balanced attack, the Patriots put away Charlottesville 37-0 to move above .500 and win what is, for now, the last official game in a rivalry that will become a benefit game in 2011.
Carneal, who hurt his left, non-throwing hand in Albemarle’s opener with Monticello, found his touch against the Black Knights a week after the Patriots gutted out a narrow win over archrival Western. Against the Warriors the junior quarterback was still feeling out the off-hand cast and getting used to it, but against the Black Knights he looked much more comfortable.
Carneal completed seven of his first eight passes and threw for 188 yards on the night, hitting David Seago and Tim Aker primarily as the tandem piled up yards, with Seago hauling in 71 on the night and Akers pulled in 104 on three catches each. Both also had touchdowns, Seago from 10 yards out and Akers from 50 out.
“Lee told me on the sideline his arm was feeling good and I was feeling good,” Seago said. “All the receivers looked great.”
It was Daniel Ricotta’s play at tailback though that opened things up for the Patriots as the senior tailback rocked and rolled to 111 yards on just 15 carries. Ricotta’s rugged running style allowed him to continually move the chains.
“I knew the outside was going to be open a lot because went over game film, but I didn’t know it was going to be like that,” Ricotta said. “I had good blocking too.”
Ricotta finished with two touchdowns on the night while B.J. Long had another rushing touchdown.
Defensively the Patriots got big nights from Matt Tobin and Michael Bernardino who both pounced on fumbles and Eli MacKay and that Tory Key who had interceptions. The shutout was a step in the right direction for the unit that has improved significantly the last two weeks.
The Black Knights looked as young as they are through most of the contest and looked particularly rocky after they lost one of their critical leaders, Daniel Intolubbe-Chmil, to another in a long line of knee injuries for the senior linebacker.
“I guess he’s snake-bitten,” said Charlottesville coach Chris Fraser. “Every year since his sophomore year he’s come up with something.”
Charlottesville struggled with those turnovers throughout the contest with four on the night. Freshman Chris Thurston did manage to look good on the ground though with 60 yards on 13 carries despite fighting off defenders shortly after he took a handoff on most plays.
