Dupree Rucker eclipsed 2,000 yards for the season and his 5-yard touchdown in the third quarter gave William Monroe a lead, but key injuries during the week and in the game caught up with the Dragons as fifth-seeded Skyline avenged last month’s defeat with 28 unanswered points to secure a 42-20 victory in the first round of the Region 3B playoffs.
“If it could go wrong, it went wrong tonight for us,” said Monroe coach Jon Rocha. “We can’t overcome two corners, a kicker, and our second offensive weapon. When that happened, [for Skyline] it was sort of just let’s pin our ears back and go after Dupree, and I can’t say enough about him — he’s over 200 yards again with them coming after him.”
By the second quarter, the Hawks often had all eleven defensive players crowded within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage at the snap. And yet, Rucker still managed to rack up 162 of the Dragons’ 172 yards of first-half offense. He also popped off for 28 yards on the second play after halftime to propel a classic Monroe possession that stretched more than eight minutes, ending when he crossed the goal line with a fourth-down carry on the play number sixteen.
Monroe led for the first time at 20-14 and seemed like it might have the upper hand if the number of remaining possessions could be limited. Instead, Skyline responded in just two minutes when sophomore quarterback Blake Appleton connected with junior Marion Haley for a 24-yard touchdown.
“They’ve definitely had a very successful season, but I’m not going to lie, with [Monroe missing] number six and number one, their two starting corners, when we saw a personnel change like that, we were definitely going to attack,” said Skyline coach Heath Gilbert. “It just elevated everything, taking advantage of that opportunity for us.”
Monroe failed to move the chains on its ensuing series after an illegal motion penalty nullified a third-and-10 completion. Skyline then seized all of the momentum with a special teams score off a blocked punt.
“Turning point of the game, and they did that to us at our homecoming game,” said Gilbert. “For us to flip the script, special teams is always important to us, and I was really happy to see them execute that to kind of get some redemption.”
Now leading 28-20 fourteen seconds into the fourth quarter, the Hawks’ defense forced another three-and-out, while the offense added touchdowns on its next two possessions: Appleton found Haley for a fourth time, and senior running back David Carter broke a 67-yard run to round out the scoring with 3:06 remaining. The totals for the Hawks’ two offensive juggernauts were impressive: Appleton completed 17-of-19 through the air for 216 yards, and Haley caught 11 passes for 121 yards.
Although Monroe (6-5) will have to wait another year to secure the program’s first playoff win since 1991, Rocha certainly won’t forget this class of seniors.
“Their grit, looking adversity in the face all year and they just kicked it in its teeth,” said Rocha. “Starting off 0-3 against pretty tough opponents, coming back and getting a winning season and a home playoff game, breaking the single-season rushing record; there’s so much this team accomplished. This team is sort of special; from what we went through last year to this year to turn it around, I’m so proud of them.”
Rucker took his 33rd and final carry to start Monroe’s final possession, picking up six yards for a final tally of 209 and three touchdowns on the night.
“Dupree has been a workhorse,” Rocha said. “For his size, to get the ball over 30 times a game and grind it out the way he does is just awesome to watch. He’s just a very dynamic player and it’s been awesome watching him play.”
Senior quarterback Jared Knights completed four passes for 70 yards, all to senior Andrew Hoffacker, including a huge 16-yarder to convert a fourth-and-11 on the Dragons’ go-ahead drive. On the defensive side, Xzabia Kolpack and David Mack each delivered big third-down sacks in the first half.
In the early going, the teams traded punts before Skyline drew first blood on the first Appleton-to-Haley connection. That 10-yard touchdown pass followed Darion Santucci’s fourth-and-1 conversion at midfield and a 40-yard completion to Anthony Domino. For the game, Santucci led the Hawks with 59 yards on 10 rushes, while Domino caught three passes for 62 yards.
Monroe pulled even with an 8-play, 65-yard drive, with Rucker accounting for all but eight yards. The Dragons caught a break when Haley’s 90 yard return of the ensuing kickoff was called back for holding. Then, the defense put a temporary stop to the Hawks’ aerial assault when Brandon MacDonald recovered a fumble at the Monroe 39. However, the Dragons could not move the chains after a holding penalty of their own. Then, the night’s first special teams disaster struck when the fourth down snap sailed high over the punter William Auer’s head. Although he chased it down and got off a kick while trying to dodge Hawk defenders, he was roughed up in the process.
Taking over at the Dragons’ 22, Skyline needed just one play for Appleton to hit Haley and grab a 14-7 lead. Rucker responded three plays later by breaking a 61-yard touchdown for Monroe, and the teams headed into halftime tied 14-14.
Skyline (6-5) travels to Goochland (10-1) next week for a Region 3B semifinal.
