By Logan Riddick / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
Monticello’s regular-season opener fairly resembled a game from week 2 of the NFL Preseason: most of the offensive stars exited by the start of the second quarter, and players slotted third and fourth on the depth chart saw plenty of field time after halftime. Unfortunately for the visitors from George Wythe (Richmond), the scoreboard tally counted, and the Mustangs set a new program record for points in a game with a 67-6 victory.
“I told the kids after the game, ‘It’s all about us. Don’t care who the opponent is across the field, we have to maintain, we have to keep the story the same, we’ve got to make sure that we improve,’ and I thought we improved,” said Monticello coach Jeff Woody. “All of the kids got to play, and all of the kids had some success at times. We had a great week of practice, and that’s the way it needs to continue.”
Senior running back Kyree Koonce celebrated his return from last fall’s mid-season leg injury on Monticello’s first offensive play by taking a sweep left 39 yards for a touchdown. After senior linebacker Griffin Davis tackled a Bulldog ball carrier for a safety, junior Darian Bates took a sweep right 29 yards to set up Koonce for a 4-yard score.
“[Kyree]’s getting there,” Woody said. “I don’t think he got touched, so give credit to the guys up front. He has looked good for the past two weeks, and I think he can still get better.”
Three plays later, Bates intercepted Nicholas Williams’ pass and returned it 38 yards for six.
“[I saw] nothing but the endzone, straight endzone,” said Bates.
With Wythe averaging less than 15 yards per punt on the night, another three-and-out set up Monticello at the Bulldogs’ 12. Senior Jeonte Banks promptly picked up a rushing touchdown on his first carry. Later, and still in the first quarter, Koonce took a first down handoff from the Monticello 38 and raced untouched through the middle for his third touchdown. With the Mustangs up 37-0, Koonce wrapped up his night with 105 yards on three touches.
In the second quarter, junior quarterback Daniel Hummel completed three out of four passes to lead a five-play, 40-yard touchdown drive, capped by Syrael Breckenridge’s 8-yard reception. Bradley Malm and Derek Williams each scored on runs to cap the Mustangs’ next two drives, giving Monticello a 58-0 lead at the break.
“In the offseason, we focused on how we could improve our defense, schematically speaking,” said Woody as his first and second team players held the Bulldogs to 38 total yards in the first half. “I think we have nine returning starters and it’s year two in the system. Now they understand what they’re supposed to do and their reads and their keys and responsibilities. As we compete in practice, they’re difficult to move the ball on with the first offense.
The defense got on the board again early in the third quarter when Banks tackled a runner for a five-yard loss and a second safety. After the ensuing free kick was returned into the redzone, senior Shawn Stevenson took a carry eight yards for Monticello’s final touchdown. Junior placekicker Jeanluc Lapierre converted his ninth PAT, setting a school record for conversions in a single game in his first-ever football appearance as he takes over for graduated longtime kicker Josh Malm.
“Offseason, we did some recruiting within the building,” Woody said. “He was on the soccer field and had a pretty strong leg on him. After two or three kicks the first day, we knew we found [our kicker].”
In the fourth quarter, second quarterback Eugene Williams led a five-play, 67-yard scoring drive for George Wythe, capped by his two-yard keeper. The touchdown kept the 2007 Monticello state champion squad’s 62-0 win over Fluvanna in first place as the program’s largest margin of victory.
Nicholas Williams led Wythe with 32 yards rushing on 11 carries, while Eugene Williams added 31 on seven attempts. After Koonce, Eddie Turner tallied 33 yards on a team-high six rushes for Monticello. Ten other Mustangs took at least one carry for positive yardage.
Monticello (1-0) hosts Fork Union (1-1) in a public-private showdown next Friday night.
