The buzz around the Monticello coaching staff before the season began was that Jesse Ayers is going to be a special player for the Mustangs someday. On the last game of the year, Ayers got a chance to showcase his talent and made the most of the carries the Mustangs’ coaching staff threw his way, leading Monticello to 40-17 win over William Monroe.
“I was really happy for our seniors to win in their last game but also happy for the underclassmen so that they have something to build on for the future,” said Monticello coach Brud Bicknell. “Jesse stepped up and did a great job for us and I think the offensive line stepped up and did as good a job as they have all year.”
The junior running back had big, long runs, short, bruising runs and everything in between in his 23-carry 230-yard performance. Ayers scored touchdowns on two runs of seven yards in addition to scores of four yards, 54 yards and 35 yards.
“When we first started it was a little slow but it gradually got better,” Ayers said. “It wound up being a fun night.”
The Mustangs scored on their first three possessions with Ayers scoring twice and senior fullback Aaron DiGregorio scoring the other, the first of his high school career in his last game in black and gold.
After the Mustangs jumped out to a 13-0 lead, the Greene Dragons cut the deficit to 10 on a field goal from Adam Weisenbord, but then it was all Ayers again. The Monroe offense eventually got kicking in the second half behind Markees Towles. The Dragons were effective in moving the ball downfield, but struggled to turn that into points until their runningback/wide receiver found the endzone on a 15-yard run late in the third quarter and then caught a 15-yard scoring strike from Mitchell Morris in the middle of the fourth quarter.
“Early on, and unfortunately it’s been our MO,” said Monroe coach Mark Sanford. “We’d move the ball downfield and shoot ourselves in the foot and walk away with three points or nothing when we should be picking up six. But that’s part of being a young team.”
Towles finished the game with 46 yards on two receptions to lead all receivers and also rushed for 82 yards on 10 carries.
The 2009 Monticello campaign won’t include the playoffs, but Bicknell was happy with the effort he was able to get out of his seniors.
“I don’t think that this was the season that the seniors expected for their senior years,” Bicknell said. “But they took to coaching very well, stuck with it all year and tried to get better all year and ultimately that’s all you can ask for from your players.”
