By Aaron Perryman/ Scrimmageplay.com Contributor
You wouldn’t have known it by talking to him afterwards, but Monticello running back CJ Page may have had the game of his life Friday night. The senior ripped apart the Charlottesville defense for a career-high 291 yards and four touchdowns on 35 carries, carrying the Mustangs to a 34-14 win over the Black Knights.
“I didn’t think I had 291 yards,” he said. “It’s because of the offensive line.”
Page’s 291 yards placed him fourth on Monticello’s all-time single-game rushing yardage list. The record belongs to Jimmy Stevens, who ran for 320 yards on 45 rushes against Orange in 2001.
“We came ready to play,” Page said. “The offensive line put some hard work in tonight …We’re finally starting to get it together.”
Though Page had an excellent game rushing, the team’s total was even more impressive. The Mustangs (3-5, 2-3 Jefferson) piled up 411 yards on the ground, just two yards shy of tying the school record 413 they put up against Charlottesville in 2007. Junior Jesse Ayers racked up 54 yards on seven carries, all on the Mustangs’ final drive of the game, and senior Aaron DiGregorio recorded 37 yards on just three runs.
“[Our offensive line] knocked Charlottesville off the ball and they knew we were going to run and run at them consistently,” said Monticello coach Brud Bicknell. “CJ read his blocks well and just did a great job.”
Incredibly, the Knights (3-5, 2-3) held an 8-7 led at halftime, thanks mostly to three Monticello turnovers—two fumbles by Page and an interception by Knight senior Xavier Porter. Monticello senior Jake Iverson had a pick for the Mustangs before the break.
“I told myself they were trying to strip me so I had come out in the second half and start tucking it with both hands and they didn’t get it any more,” Page said.
A rarely-seen play gave Charlottesville an early 2-0 lead with 6:07 left in the first quarter. Mustang senior quarterback Garrett Mullaney dropped back to pass behind his 10-yard line and was getting sacked by multiple Knight defenders when he threw a lateral pass that bounced into the end zone and out-of-bounds for a safety.
“We had some plays that just weren’t very good football and we put that behind us and played much better in the second half,” Bicknell said.
Monticello took a 7-2 lead with 1:46 left in the first when Page scored his first touchdown, this one from 26 yards out. Charlottesville got back on top right before the break when junior Davonte’ Taylor took a handoff around the left side of the field for a 22-yard touchdown. Taylor managed 62 yards on the night and senior Raymond Parker added 59, but Porter was the big gainer for Charlottesville, recording 161 yards on 12 carries.
“I was happy because we kind of struggled the last couple weeks and we keep pressure on the backs,” said Charlottesville coach Chris Fraser. “Davonte’ Taylor, our fullback, did a really good job. I think all three of the backs did a good job…For the most part, we didn’t do it consistently, but we blocked well up front, and the backs had some good holes and seams.”
Running was all either team did well for most of the game. Charlottesville freshman quarterback Benj Wilhelm finally completed the game’s first pass for positive yardage to senior Adrian Thurston for 14 yards with 7:48 left in the game. The lack of a passing game, four total turnovers and wet conditions mired the contest’s first half in ugliness.
Monticello took control quickly in the second half, scoring 20 straight points to pretty much put the game out of reach. Page got the barrage of points started on a six-yard touchdown run before the half’s first minute had even expired.
“That first series of the second half just took the wind out of our sails,” Fraser said.
“Our crutch and our nemesis is when teams run right at us,” he said, noting that they played well in their early-season defeat of Goochland, which uses a more lateral rushing attack.
As for Monticello, the Mustangs are trying to turn around a disappointing season. Next week’s game at Louisa will be a big test, and Page said he thinks the team can finish the season strong.
Added Bicknell: “The stars have to align just right for us but I don’t think we’ve been mathematically eliminated yet [from the playoffs]. We’ll keep any glimmer of hope alive.”
