By Allen Kha/Scrimmageplay.com Contributor
STANDARDSVILLE – In a game that featured two prolific rushing attacks, plenty of points, and even more emotional fireworks, Fluvanna prevailed with a 33-28 win over William Monroe Friday night.
William Monroe had many reasons to be frustrated though. The Dragons (3-3, 1-2 JD) jumped to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter with two touchdowns from junior running back Doug Sizemore, but squandered its lead only two minutes into the second quarter after Fluvanna junior defensive back Ben Markiewicz returned a pick six off an errant pass from senior quarterback Mitchell Morris.
“We gave [Fluvanna] new life. It’s disappointing that we couldn’t step up when it mattered. We got off to a fast start but lost our rhythm,” said Monroe coach Mark Sanford.
After the Flucos (3-3, 2-1 JD) tied the game in the second quarter, YaYa Anderson — who played quarterback for Fluvanna due to a hand injury to fellow junior T.J. Dudley — scampered 49 yards for a touchdown to give Fluvanna a 21-14 lead a minute later.
“It was a hard week for our guys. Our team lost [a community friend] to cancer earlier this week, so emotions caught up with us in the beginning of the game,” Fluvanna coach Jason Barnett said. “We got punched in the mouth. [But now,] I don’t think we have a very mentally weak team anymore.”
Fluvanna and William Monroe jousted back and forth in the second quarter, which ended with the Dragons up 28-21. Anderson was particularly effective in the first half, rushing 10 times for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Junior running back Doug Sizemore led the Dragons, rushing 10 times for 54 yards and three touchdowns.
Sizemore rushed for 50 more yards in the second half, but wasn’t able to lead a sputtering William Monroe offense to any scores in the final two quarters. The Dragons had three sustained possessions that advanced to Fluvanna’s 40-yard line, but William Monroe was unable to convert on all three fourth-down situations it attempted.
Fluvanna, on the other hand, was able to score when it mattered. Nine minutes into the second half, the potent Anderson-Dudley rushing duo led the Flucos from its own 30-yard line to a touchdown score. Dudley’s two-yard touchdown run would not tie the game, however, because senior placekicker Josue Franco was unable to convert the extra point.
After stopping William Monroe inside the red zone, the Flucos offense received the ball down one point with 4:35 to go in the game. Anderson and Dudley led the Fluvanna offense down the field, converting multiple third-down conversions before scoring the game-winning drive—a six-yard touchdown run from Anderson— with 19 seconds left in the game.
A dazzling Anderson, in particular, saved the Flucos offense from the grips of defeat. On one particular play that moved the Fluvanna from the edge of the red zone into a goal-line situation, Anderson avoided a long sack, weaved around the pocket, and mauled through linebackers and defensive backs for a 15-yard gain that put the Flucos five yards away from a game-winning touchdown with a minute left in the game.
“I just did what I do best: scramble,” Anderson said. “They knew what was coming [in terms of the original play], so I had to make a play.”
Barnett explained that his team’s game-winning drive demonstrated the character of his team.
“[Before the game-winning drive], our defense had every opportunity to give up. We gave up the ball on turnovers, but our defense stopped them and put us in situations to succeed,” Barnett said.
“Then on offense, our athletes — two of the best in YaYa and TJ — and offensive line made players; our offense created drives. We’re trying to make a name for ourselves in the Jefferson District. Coach Sanford is trying to do the same thing [with William Monroe], and it’s sad that one team had to lose in this great game.”
The result of the built-up tension in the close, battle of a contest was a postgame, bench-clearing dustup at midfield. Both coaching staffs broke up the altercation quickly but the tussle certainly showed the passion of a Jefferson District matchup against two emerging programs.
“The fight after the game was embarrassing, a poor representation of our program,” Sanford said. “There were many positives to take from our game, including the fact that our players are passionate and had fight — it’s a huge step for our program. But as we build our program, we also have to learn to be gracious losers.”
Fluvanna will try to maintain its momentum when it faces Goochland next week.
William Monroe will also have another tough challenge when it hosts Orange County next week.
