From Scrimmage Play. Game preview:
Charlottesville (3-1) at Monticello (2-2), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: This one is a measuring stick game for Charlottesville and a chance to bounce back for Monticello. Both could use this win in a big way. The Black Knights have something to prove. They dropped Harrisonburg, William Monroe and Fluvanna in quick succession, but this would be a signature win for the Black Knights, showing they’ve arrived and are ready to compete in the district’s upper echelon this season. Charlottesville was 3-1 a year ago too, and finished with six straight losses. A win here shows that this isn’t last year. Expect leaders like Sadarius Folley and Lorenzo Louderback to make sure the Black Knights understand that fact and won’t allow them to get complacent with a solid start. On the flip side, the last time the Mustangs lost three games in a row was back in 2009, so expect Monticello to come out looking to not be the first since then to drop three straight. There’s no reason to panic about the Mustangs yet, but a win here would go a long way toward getting Monticello back on track. This is the kind of moment where leadership has to take over, where the Mustangs’ players have to take things personally and change course. Monticello has a number of those kind of leaders, they’ll be ready for the Black Knights.
Key matchup: Monticello’s front seven takes on Charlottesville’s option attack. The Mustangs struggled last week to stop a balanced Western Albemarle attack. Charlottesville is going to run right at the Mustangs with a dash of passing from quarterback Sam Neale. You have to play responsibility football against the option and also load up in a big way against Sabias Folley and the dive. That’s a tall task for any defense, and the Mustangs will have to regain their confidence on that side of the ball fast after surrendering more than 400 yards to Western. Look for some significant adjustments from the Mustangs, they won’t rest until they find a solution.
Who to watch: Monticello’s Reid Huffman. If the Mustangs are going to derail a Charlottesville train that’s picking up steam, Huffman could be a key. He was dynamic last week as Kevin Jarrell’s top passing options, hauling in two touchdown catches, including one for more than 70 yards where he was actually interfered with, fought off the penalty and snagged the pass near the sideline. That’s the kind of gutty, resilient play that helps teams win, and it briefly sparked a hope in the Mustangs that they could rally. If Huffman can put together a repeat performance against a talented Charlottesville secondary it would definitely help the Mustangs.
The line: Charlottesville by 1. Expect Monticello to bounce back here and frankly the Mustangs could be an entirely different team this week, but Charlottesville’s ground attack and a stingy defense makes them the sure bet here.
Charlottesville (3-1) at Monticello (2-2), 7:30 p.m.
The basics: This one is a measuring stick game for Charlottesville and a chance to bounce back for Monticello. Both could use this win in a big way. The Black Knights have something to prove. They dropped Harrisonburg, William Monroe and Fluvanna in quick succession, but this would be a signature win for the Black Knights, showing they’ve arrived and are ready to compete in the district’s upper echelon this season. Charlottesville was 3-1 a year ago too, and finished with six straight losses. A win here shows that this isn’t last year. Expect leaders like Sadarius Folley and Lorenzo Louderback to make sure the Black Knights understand that fact and won’t allow them to get complacent with a solid start. On the flip side, the last time the Mustangs lost three games in a row was back in 2009, so expect Monticello to come out looking to not be the first since then to drop three straight. There’s no reason to panic about the Mustangs yet, but a win here would go a long way toward getting Monticello back on track. This is the kind of moment where leadership has to take over, where the Mustangs’ players have to take things personally and change course. Monticello has a number of those kind of leaders, they’ll be ready for the Black Knights.
Key matchup: Monticello’s front seven takes on Charlottesville’s option attack. The Mustangs struggled last week to stop a balanced Western Albemarle attack. Charlottesville is going to run right at the Mustangs with a dash of passing from quarterback Sam Neale. You have to play responsibility football against the option and also load up in a big way against Sabias Folley and the dive. That’s a tall task for any defense, and the Mustangs will have to regain their confidence on that side of the ball fast after surrendering more than 400 yards to Western. Look for some significant adjustments from the Mustangs, they won’t rest until they find a solution.
Who to watch: Monticello’s Reid Huffman. If the Mustangs are going to derail a Charlottesville train that’s picking up steam, Huffman could be a key. He was dynamic last week as Kevin Jarrell’s top passing options, hauling in two touchdown catches, including one for more than 70 yards where he was actually interfered with, fought off the penalty and snagged the pass near the sideline. That’s the kind of gutty, resilient play that helps teams win, and it briefly sparked a hope in the Mustangs that they could rally. If Huffman can put together a repeat performance against a talented Charlottesville secondary it would definitely help the Mustangs.
The line: Charlottesville by 1. Expect Monticello to bounce back here and frankly the Mustangs could be an entirely different team this week, but Charlottesville’s ground attack and a stingy defense makes them the sure bet here.
