By Allen Kha / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
YaYa Anderson took the opening kickoff 91 yards to give his team a quick lead. Then Fluvanna recovered its ensuing onside kick attempt near midfield.
Fluvanna was looking to play spoiler Friday evening against surging Monticello on the Mustangs’ senior night, and that looked possible three minutes into the game.
“We had a great start to the game… That’s the kind of start we had to get out to beat a really good team like Monticello,” Flucos head coach Jason Barnett said.
On the ensuing play after the onside kick recovery, that all changed as Fluvanna quarterback Austin Foster threw an interception that Monticello’s (7-1, 3-0 JD) Sam Patterson took back to the doorstep of the Fluvanna red zone.
Monticello capitalized on the interception on the next play when running back Isaac Robinson broke free for a 21-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-7 four minutes into the game. Robinson added a seven-yard touchdown eight minutes later. He didn’t stop there.
Fluvanna drove down for a field goal five minutes into the second quarter to close Monticello’s lead to 14-10. But Robinson bounced outside on the first play after the possession exchange for his third touchdown of the night, an 80-yard sprint that put the Mustangs a 21-10.
After Monticello forced a safety, quarterback Jahlil Mosley threw a perfect 28-yard lofted pass to tall receiver Sam Patterson to bring the score to 30-10 Monticello.
Mosley added a 11-yard touchdown run near the end of the second quarter to increase the Mustangs’ lead to 36-10.
“We weren’t quite clicking up front early. I was talking to our offensive line because of that, because the intensity wasn’t there in the beginning of the game,” Monticello coach Rodney Redd said.
“[Fluvanna] came out in a different front and we had some guys playing on the offensive line that hadn’t gotten a lot of time this year. It took them a while to click but the offense got going. When we got it going, then we played well.”
Before Redd started to pull his starters in the second half, Robinson continued on his career night by taking the second play of the second half 77 yards for his fourth and final touchdown of the evening. Robinson finished with a career-high 245 yards on 19 carries.
Mosley added another touchdown on a 28-yard bootleg run in the end of third quarter to bring the final score to 49-10 Monticello. Mosley ended the evening with 91 passing yards and a passing touchdown and 97 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
“We had a good night tonight,” Robinson said. “It was tough after they [Turner Ashby] put nine guys in the box last week, but we focused throughout the week and once again we came together as a team and handled it. It was fun night.”
A jovial Mosely added: “Props to the defense tonight. We’ve always been able to score points, but our defense stepped up and held them to only 10 points. Playmakers like YaYa will make plays, but look at the scoreboard and we only allowed that one play.”
Redd was similarly pleased with his team’s defensive play.
“It’s critical for our defense to start playing like this when they did, because that’s what separates the good teams from the great ones,” Redd said.
Redd added that his team is looking forward to their next game against Powhatan – which will determine the Jefferson District champion.
“At Powhatan next week, our game actually means something. We’ve traded blows for a long time, but now it’s going for all the marbles,” Redd said.
Fluvanna travels to take on Western Albemarle in Crozet next Friday, while Monticello travels to Powhatan for the defacto Jefferson District title. Game time for the game at Powhatan is set for 7:30 p.m.
