Western Albemarle football walked off the field after its 42-6 victory over Waynesboro in their usual stoic way, two-by-two almost silently in a line. But just outside their locker room, while waiting to get in, a loud, full-tilt celebration broke out on the sidewalk.
“A lot of guys, this is their first varsity football win,” said Western quarterback Carter Shifflett. “Instead of pulling apart, we want to come together and get this thing done.”
It was a cathartic moment for a program accustomed to nine and 10 win seasons that stumbled out of the gate to the tune of an 0-2 record. It seemed a relief that the hard work was paying off, that improvements were made, and that Western is headed in the right direction.
“We put our time in, the guys worked hard and we’re still developing and growing,” said Western coach Ed Redmond. “We’re getting better, that’s the key.”
Production in the ground game was a big reason Western took a step forward. The Warriors piled up 263 yards and showed the balance in the backfield they were projected to have going into the year, especially in the first half. In the opening half, the three-headed rushing attack of Carter Shifflett (75 yards on nine carries), Austin Shifflett (52 yards on 10 carries) and John Buetow (60 yards on eight carries). It’s exactly the kind of shared workload Western wants, forcing opposing defenses to stay honest no matter who’s in the backfield.
Carter Shifflett, who set the tone for the night by trucking a Waynesboro defender at the goal line on the Warriors’ first touchdown, finished with 97 yards on the night and Austin Shifflett had 76 yards.
With the ground game rolling, Western also got some favorable matchups on the boundary, with Carter Shifflett finding Breaker Mendenhall and Will Mitchell for vertical touchdowns in the passing game while also connecting with Austin Shifflett on a screen that Shifflett turned into a touchdown. Carter Shifflett finished 6-for-9 for 128 yards as well as the three touchdowns.
It was a critical step forward for the Warriors’ young offensive line in particular, keeping Shifflett clean in the passing game for the most part and opening up some huge lanes in the ground game.
“They took it personal because there’s talk that that’s the weakness but they just took that and ran with it,” Shifflett said. “We’re going to keep doing that because this team has a bright future.”
Western’s defense also took a significant step forward, coming up with a turnover on downs to open the game and an interception by Mendenhall while holding Waynesboro to just 157 yards of total offense. Linebacker Cameron Greene had a big tackle for a loss in the first half that helped force Waynesboro to pass on third down and led to Mendenhall’s pick. Greene was in on eight tackles on the night to lead the Warriors in that category. Carson Tujague picked up a sack and Spencer Powell had a tackle for a loss as well.
“For those guys to develop and play like they did tonight, giving up six points, that’s an awesome accomplishment,” Carter Shifflett said.
Western now jumps into rivalry week as they take on Monticello at Monticello Friday.
