Six-hundred yards.
This week in practice, that seems to be about all Western Albemarle’s defense could think about — the number of yards Charlottesville piled up against the Warriors during their regular season shootout.
“That was our focus all week because we’ve been talking about how they got 600 yards on us and that was not okay with us,” said Western senior linebacker Tommy Mullin. “Every single practice coach (Ed) Redmond was sitting there going ‘600 yards’ every time we lined up. We were really focusing on 11 hats to the ball this week.”
Western didn’t let it happen twice. The Warriors came up with a solid defensive performance that included two second half interception returns for touchdowns that helped seal a 55-20 victory in the Region II quarterfinals over a dangerous Black Knights squad.
“Our tackling was much sharper tonight — I thought our defensive interior guys played rel well,” said Western coach Ed Redmond. “I thought they set the tone against their run game and we forced them to be one dimensional.”
The Warriors’ commitment via players like Mullin, Dom Christmas, Patrick Greer and Patrick Maupin to stopping the run and containing Rashard Davis in particular tempted the Black Knights into opening the offense up and throwing the ball, which played into Western’s hands.
“Our goal is to get them to have to pass — that’s when we’re at our best,” said Western quarterback/defensive back Kent Henry.
With Charlottesville’s airing it out — particularly after the Black Knights’ first drive of the second half — Western came up big. Mullin struck first with an interception for a touchdown late in the third quarter, racing more than 40 yards for the score. Daniel Kuzjak came up with the second late in the fourth, picking off a pass over the middle before weaving his way to a 67-yard touchdown.
It didn’t hurt the Warriors that the Western offense was clicking on all cylinders from late in the first quarter on. Henry threw for 320 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for 67 yards and two scores. Instead of usual top target Daniel Kuzjak, Henry found Steven Hearn and Nic Drapanas repeatedly, with Drapanas hauling in 167 yards and three touchdowns while Hearn picked up 98 yards and a score.
“(Hearn) has just been so electric and it’s good news to see that,” Drapanas said.
Charlottesville looked to be in decent shape when the Black Knights tied the game at 6-6 on a Chris Thurston touchdown set up by a Western fumble. But things stalled out from there as the Warriors refused to let the rushing exploits from the squads’ last meeting from happening again. The Black Knights couldn’t keep the ball moving for a long stretch as Western ripped off 35-straight unanswered points.
“You turn the ball over, make mistakes and you don’t convert on third and fourth downs things kind of spiraled away from us,” said CHS coach Eric Sherry.
Chris Thurston managed a solid night for the Black Knights, showing a physical side down the stretch, running over several Western players on long runs. He finished with 118 yards on the ground and another 65 yards receiving.
Despite finishing on a sour note, the turnaround the Blacks Knights jumpstarted seems to have changed the entire culture of the program.
“I can’t say enough about this group,” Sherry said. “Last year’s senior class had to actually change a process of what was going on here and this one was able to turn it up, get some wins and get us to a playoff. I think it’ll just keep building for this program.”
Western will need to survive another rematch with a Jefferson District opponent this week when the Warriors go toe-to-toe with Monticello in the Region II semifinals.
