The Monacan Chiefs entered the 4A State Semifinals an underdog despite their 11-2 record. The eleven wins for the Chiefs was the most in the programs history. Despite the record, the Chiefs came into the state semifinals a gross underdog to the Titans and for good reason. The Chiefs had not been in this position in nearly thirty years whereas Lake Taylor had been to the state finals just two years ago. Furthermore, the Titans were 13-0 and their closest game had been a loss to LC Bird 22-29, a team that Monacan had lost to by much more. So this game would be easy for the Titans right? Wrong.
Tonight, even in the most heartbreaking of losses, the Chiefs earned the respect of the Titans and maybe the state. For four quarters the Chiefs played the Titans as hard as anyone had this season. For four quarters, the Chiefs had the Titans, one of the best teams in the state beat. While the final score does not show it, the Chiefs won tonight in every way imaginable except the one that counts.
While the final score read 19-14 and the sting of this loss will linger, this sting will be added motivation to a team that reached the state semifinals in just two years under Coach Henderson. With freshman quarterback Syour Fludd back next season and the other returning Chief players, the future of the Monacan program is bright… Their future might be bright but their present, the here and now, the 2014 campaign has come to a close in the most crushing way possible.
The Titans survived a scare tonight… The Titans now will have the opportunity to play for their second state title in three years. The Titans had to overcome being down by two scores and a defense that had four turnovers in the first half alone. Gutting out this victory could be just what the Titans needed as the Titans having a close game will surely be battle tested for whoever their opponent is.
1st Quarter:
The first quarter would prove to be one that the Titans would like to forget. The Titans possessions ended in a punt and a fumble with a punt from the Chiefs touching a Titan and the Chiefs recovering the ball. The fumble for Lake Taylor came with the Titans on the four yard line after a big Shiheem Johnson 19-yard touchdown run gave them a first. On the first play from the 4, the Titans turned the ball over and DJ Peterson of Monacan recovered the loose ball. Monacan didn't fare much better but the Chiefs were able to eat up much of the clock due to their first possession that saw them move 14 yards as well a punt that the Chiefs got right back because it was touched by a Titan.
2nd Quarter:
The second quarter began with the Titans missing a field goal. At the conclusion of the first quarter, the Chiefs were forced to punt from their seven yard line but the punt went south and they were forced to try to run for a first down but the Titans came up with a huge stop giving them great field position. The Titans now had the ball at the 11 yard line but credit the defense of Monacan for keeping the potent Titans offense out of the endzone. The missed field goal came back to haunt Lake Taylor as Monacan starting from their own 20 put together an 80-yard drive that saw Syour Fludd make three big passes, none bigger perhaps then when he hit Justin Moody from 17 yards out to put the Chiefs up 7-0. After starting at the 50, Lake Taylor moved the ball to the 20 behind Johnson's passing game but Johnson who had 20 touchdowns and 8 interceptions this season made it 9 as Justin Moody came up with a huge stop and Monacan took over at the 10 yard line. Unable to capitalize on the turnover, the Titans got the ball back, this time at their own 40 but a series of penalties called against the Titans just kept pushing them back and ultimately they faced a 3rd & 35 they could not recover from thus punting and it almost big the Titans again. The Chiefs began from their own 13 and on third down with just four yards needed for a first, Fludd hit Gales with a huge 63-yard pass to the 18 yard line of Lake Taylor. The Titans defense however stepped up to keep the Chiefs from another touchdown and going up by two scores. So on fourth down the Chiefs attempted a field goal but like Lake Taylor's earlier attempt, the Chiefs was no good either. With halftime approaching, the Titans started from their 20 and moved the ball to the 39 in three plays but another Titan penalty set them back five yards and on the very next play, the Chiefs defense came up big again when Xavier Ceasar intercepted another Johnson pass. Monacan got two plays off but the quarter and half came to a close with the Chiefs ahead 7-0 and the Titans having
3rd Quarter:
To start the third quarter, it appeared the Titans struggles and the Chiefs defense would continue just as it had in the first half. The Titans were held to three and out while on third down, Fludd hit Gales with a huge 59-yard pass that went to the house and just like that, with a PAT the Chiefs were up 14-0 on the heavily favored Titans. Be it that score or adjustments made after the half, the Titans responded and ended the shutout with a 60-yard scoring drive that saw Johnson do what he's done all season, run the ball, pass the ball; the Titans offense was responding in a big way and from then yards out Johnson hit Nhyre Quinerly with the touchdown pass with 3:41 to go in the quarter. The two-point conversion attempt was broken up by the Chiefs defense and they led 14-6. Remarkably, with a little more than three minutes to go, both teams had just had one possession. In the first half, turnovers had been a problem for the Titans, in the third quarter the turnover bug bit Monacan as Quinerly who had just scored on the previous possession intercepted a Fludd fourth down pass. The Titans however could not take advantage of the turnover and as the third quarter came to a close, the Titans found themselves punting.
4th Quarter:
The fourth quarter began with the Titans punting but the Chiefs got no closer to a first down than five yards. The Chiefs at the titans 30 went for it on fourth down and had they gotten the first down, it could have been a dagger but it wasn't meant to be, instead the fourth down pass was incomplete and the Titans got the ball back. Johnson came up with two big passes to Quinerly and Davis to move the ball to the 32 of Monacan before a huge error almost cost them. The Titans snapped the ball but it was as if the Titans were caught sleeping, the ball went right past the quarterback and the rest of the Titans offense and even the Chiefs defense was slow to respond and the Titans were able to recover but lost 11 yards in the process. Johnson however was not fazed by this error and two plays later he hit Wayne Davis yet again with a huge 40 yard pass that put the ball on the 3-yard line and that was all Johnson needed to punch it in with 8:08 to go. The Titans attempted another two-point conversion but that too failed like the first but suddenly this game was a lot tighter. The Chiefs defense was unable to come up with turnovers and big stops like they had in the first half and the Titans had gained the momentum.
The Chiefs second possession began from the 36 and on the second play, a crushing blow for the Chiefs hit when Isaiah Fludd went down with an apparent leg or ankle injury. Fludd would not return to the game which you never want to see for any player, particularly one playing in his biggest game as a Chief in his senior season. On the next play the Chiefs were flagged for a false start but the Chiefs recovered and got a first down behind the passing game of Syour Fludd. On third down from the Titan 44 Fludd found his pan on the near the sidelines nearest the Monacan bench but despite what appeared to many Monacan fans and myself included, a pass interference call was not made against the Titans, however a flag was thrown and that was on Monacan for holding which the Titans declined. To make matters worse, on fourth down, Monacan was flagged again for false start. While nothing seemed to go right with turnovers and penalties in the first half for the Titans, it was as if a switch had been flipped and the opposite was happening to the Chiefs in the fourth quarter.
On fourth down the Chiefs punted pinning the Titans deep at their own 3. Johnson who had found success in the second half passing the ball continued to do so moving the ball to the 30 but two penalties for illegal man downfield stalled a productive drive and on 1st & 20 Davis of Lake Taylor George Ross and Corey Sostre of Monacan were in a foot race for a Johnson pass but none were able to get to the ball. Two plays later Johnson hit Quinerly with a huge 29 yard pass and Johnson then ran it himself for 17 yards pushing the ball to the 32 of Monacan. With 1:49 to go in the game, Lake Taylor faced 2nd & 14 at the 36. The Titans were helped out by an offsides call against Monacan and the next pass attempt was incomplete setting the stage for Johnson to scramble on third down looking for a receiver but instead running for 8 yards as there were three missed tackles on this one play alone. The Titans needed just one yard to keep this drive alive with 1:27 to go and if the Chiefs could come up with the stop then the upset would be almost complete but they could not. Instead Johnson picked up three yards for a first and now the Titans were at the 20 and Johnson against passing the ball to Davis who was taken down by Deandre Williams but not before he picked up 12 yards. The ball was now at the 8 with 1st & goal but a false start against the Titans pushed them back to the 13. A Johnson pass got them to the five making up eight yards and on the very next play with 43 seconds to go, Johnson punched it in for a touchdown crushing the Chiefs and their fans… As Lee Corso would say, "not so fast my friend". The Titans touchdown was called back due to a false start and now it was 2nd & goal from the 11 with 35 seconds to go and Johnson was able to run for nine yards to the 2-yard line where Johnson would spike the ball on third down setting the stage for the wildest and most heartbreaking way I've ever witnessed a football team losing.
Fourth down with 14 seconds to go, the Titans attempting a game winning field goal… The kick is blocked and the Chiefs go wild celebrating the huge defensive play that has just seen them beat one of the best in the state and advance to 4A State Finals… However what the Chiefs do not realize as they and their fans cheer is that the ball is still live and seconds later Marquise Poole of Lake Taylor picks up the live ball and punches it in… The PA announcer can be heard saying "uh oh" as it becomes clear to all those Monacan players and fans that the Titans have just won the game. The touchdown and the realization of what has happened is devastating to the players and fans as they cannot believe it. Meanwhile the Titans fans and players are celebrating knowing they were that close to defeat.
In Conclusion:
Like Auburn & Alabama last year, this game will be talked about for years and coaches will use this to prepare their teams for anything and everything because you just never know. The wild ending has made it to youtube and around the country. Do a google search and Tuscon and Toldeo news outlets have capsules about it and I'm sure they are not the only ones. The Titans now advance to the 4A State Finals looking for their second state championship in three years. For the Chiefs, this one will sting for a long time to come, especially those seniors who won't return. This said, the Chiefs can hold their head high as for pretty much the entire game, the Chiefs had the Titans beat and played with one of the best in state and played them as hard as anyone has this season. In year three under Coach Henderson with Fludd returning at quarterback along with a host of others, the future is bright for Monacan and this might just be the start for them…
SCORING SUMMARY
1st QTR-
No scoring.
2nd QTR-
9:44- (Monacan)Syour Fludd 17-yard touchdown pass to Justin Moody, PAT good; Monacan 7-0.
3rd QTR-
9:56- (Monacan)Syour Fludd 59-yard touchdown pass to Le'Ron Gales, PAT good; Monacan 14-0.
3:41- (Lake Taylor)Shiheem Johnson 10-yard touchdown pass to Nhyre Quinerly, 2-point conversion fails; Monacan 14-6.
4th QTR-
8:08- (Lake Taylor)Shiheem Johnson 3-yard touchdown run, 2-point conversion fails; Monacan 14-12.
:14- (Lake Taylor)Marquise Poole touchdown, PAT good; Lake Taylor 19-14.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Monacan- Syour Fludd; 12 of 19 passing with two touchdowns and 238 yards passing.
Lake Taylor- Marquise Poole; without him picking up that live ball at the end, Titans lose this game..
EXTRA POINTS
Monacan's 11-3 record is the best in programs history.
Lake Taylor's 19 points was the fewest they have scored all season.
This post was edited on 12/6 8:36 PM by CRF4Dan
Tonight, even in the most heartbreaking of losses, the Chiefs earned the respect of the Titans and maybe the state. For four quarters the Chiefs played the Titans as hard as anyone had this season. For four quarters, the Chiefs had the Titans, one of the best teams in the state beat. While the final score does not show it, the Chiefs won tonight in every way imaginable except the one that counts.
While the final score read 19-14 and the sting of this loss will linger, this sting will be added motivation to a team that reached the state semifinals in just two years under Coach Henderson. With freshman quarterback Syour Fludd back next season and the other returning Chief players, the future of the Monacan program is bright… Their future might be bright but their present, the here and now, the 2014 campaign has come to a close in the most crushing way possible.
The Titans survived a scare tonight… The Titans now will have the opportunity to play for their second state title in three years. The Titans had to overcome being down by two scores and a defense that had four turnovers in the first half alone. Gutting out this victory could be just what the Titans needed as the Titans having a close game will surely be battle tested for whoever their opponent is.
1st Quarter:
The first quarter would prove to be one that the Titans would like to forget. The Titans possessions ended in a punt and a fumble with a punt from the Chiefs touching a Titan and the Chiefs recovering the ball. The fumble for Lake Taylor came with the Titans on the four yard line after a big Shiheem Johnson 19-yard touchdown run gave them a first. On the first play from the 4, the Titans turned the ball over and DJ Peterson of Monacan recovered the loose ball. Monacan didn't fare much better but the Chiefs were able to eat up much of the clock due to their first possession that saw them move 14 yards as well a punt that the Chiefs got right back because it was touched by a Titan.
2nd Quarter:
The second quarter began with the Titans missing a field goal. At the conclusion of the first quarter, the Chiefs were forced to punt from their seven yard line but the punt went south and they were forced to try to run for a first down but the Titans came up with a huge stop giving them great field position. The Titans now had the ball at the 11 yard line but credit the defense of Monacan for keeping the potent Titans offense out of the endzone. The missed field goal came back to haunt Lake Taylor as Monacan starting from their own 20 put together an 80-yard drive that saw Syour Fludd make three big passes, none bigger perhaps then when he hit Justin Moody from 17 yards out to put the Chiefs up 7-0. After starting at the 50, Lake Taylor moved the ball to the 20 behind Johnson's passing game but Johnson who had 20 touchdowns and 8 interceptions this season made it 9 as Justin Moody came up with a huge stop and Monacan took over at the 10 yard line. Unable to capitalize on the turnover, the Titans got the ball back, this time at their own 40 but a series of penalties called against the Titans just kept pushing them back and ultimately they faced a 3rd & 35 they could not recover from thus punting and it almost big the Titans again. The Chiefs began from their own 13 and on third down with just four yards needed for a first, Fludd hit Gales with a huge 63-yard pass to the 18 yard line of Lake Taylor. The Titans defense however stepped up to keep the Chiefs from another touchdown and going up by two scores. So on fourth down the Chiefs attempted a field goal but like Lake Taylor's earlier attempt, the Chiefs was no good either. With halftime approaching, the Titans started from their 20 and moved the ball to the 39 in three plays but another Titan penalty set them back five yards and on the very next play, the Chiefs defense came up big again when Xavier Ceasar intercepted another Johnson pass. Monacan got two plays off but the quarter and half came to a close with the Chiefs ahead 7-0 and the Titans having
3rd Quarter:
To start the third quarter, it appeared the Titans struggles and the Chiefs defense would continue just as it had in the first half. The Titans were held to three and out while on third down, Fludd hit Gales with a huge 59-yard pass that went to the house and just like that, with a PAT the Chiefs were up 14-0 on the heavily favored Titans. Be it that score or adjustments made after the half, the Titans responded and ended the shutout with a 60-yard scoring drive that saw Johnson do what he's done all season, run the ball, pass the ball; the Titans offense was responding in a big way and from then yards out Johnson hit Nhyre Quinerly with the touchdown pass with 3:41 to go in the quarter. The two-point conversion attempt was broken up by the Chiefs defense and they led 14-6. Remarkably, with a little more than three minutes to go, both teams had just had one possession. In the first half, turnovers had been a problem for the Titans, in the third quarter the turnover bug bit Monacan as Quinerly who had just scored on the previous possession intercepted a Fludd fourth down pass. The Titans however could not take advantage of the turnover and as the third quarter came to a close, the Titans found themselves punting.
4th Quarter:
The fourth quarter began with the Titans punting but the Chiefs got no closer to a first down than five yards. The Chiefs at the titans 30 went for it on fourth down and had they gotten the first down, it could have been a dagger but it wasn't meant to be, instead the fourth down pass was incomplete and the Titans got the ball back. Johnson came up with two big passes to Quinerly and Davis to move the ball to the 32 of Monacan before a huge error almost cost them. The Titans snapped the ball but it was as if the Titans were caught sleeping, the ball went right past the quarterback and the rest of the Titans offense and even the Chiefs defense was slow to respond and the Titans were able to recover but lost 11 yards in the process. Johnson however was not fazed by this error and two plays later he hit Wayne Davis yet again with a huge 40 yard pass that put the ball on the 3-yard line and that was all Johnson needed to punch it in with 8:08 to go. The Titans attempted another two-point conversion but that too failed like the first but suddenly this game was a lot tighter. The Chiefs defense was unable to come up with turnovers and big stops like they had in the first half and the Titans had gained the momentum.
The Chiefs second possession began from the 36 and on the second play, a crushing blow for the Chiefs hit when Isaiah Fludd went down with an apparent leg or ankle injury. Fludd would not return to the game which you never want to see for any player, particularly one playing in his biggest game as a Chief in his senior season. On the next play the Chiefs were flagged for a false start but the Chiefs recovered and got a first down behind the passing game of Syour Fludd. On third down from the Titan 44 Fludd found his pan on the near the sidelines nearest the Monacan bench but despite what appeared to many Monacan fans and myself included, a pass interference call was not made against the Titans, however a flag was thrown and that was on Monacan for holding which the Titans declined. To make matters worse, on fourth down, Monacan was flagged again for false start. While nothing seemed to go right with turnovers and penalties in the first half for the Titans, it was as if a switch had been flipped and the opposite was happening to the Chiefs in the fourth quarter.
On fourth down the Chiefs punted pinning the Titans deep at their own 3. Johnson who had found success in the second half passing the ball continued to do so moving the ball to the 30 but two penalties for illegal man downfield stalled a productive drive and on 1st & 20 Davis of Lake Taylor George Ross and Corey Sostre of Monacan were in a foot race for a Johnson pass but none were able to get to the ball. Two plays later Johnson hit Quinerly with a huge 29 yard pass and Johnson then ran it himself for 17 yards pushing the ball to the 32 of Monacan. With 1:49 to go in the game, Lake Taylor faced 2nd & 14 at the 36. The Titans were helped out by an offsides call against Monacan and the next pass attempt was incomplete setting the stage for Johnson to scramble on third down looking for a receiver but instead running for 8 yards as there were three missed tackles on this one play alone. The Titans needed just one yard to keep this drive alive with 1:27 to go and if the Chiefs could come up with the stop then the upset would be almost complete but they could not. Instead Johnson picked up three yards for a first and now the Titans were at the 20 and Johnson against passing the ball to Davis who was taken down by Deandre Williams but not before he picked up 12 yards. The ball was now at the 8 with 1st & goal but a false start against the Titans pushed them back to the 13. A Johnson pass got them to the five making up eight yards and on the very next play with 43 seconds to go, Johnson punched it in for a touchdown crushing the Chiefs and their fans… As Lee Corso would say, "not so fast my friend". The Titans touchdown was called back due to a false start and now it was 2nd & goal from the 11 with 35 seconds to go and Johnson was able to run for nine yards to the 2-yard line where Johnson would spike the ball on third down setting the stage for the wildest and most heartbreaking way I've ever witnessed a football team losing.
Fourth down with 14 seconds to go, the Titans attempting a game winning field goal… The kick is blocked and the Chiefs go wild celebrating the huge defensive play that has just seen them beat one of the best in the state and advance to 4A State Finals… However what the Chiefs do not realize as they and their fans cheer is that the ball is still live and seconds later Marquise Poole of Lake Taylor picks up the live ball and punches it in… The PA announcer can be heard saying "uh oh" as it becomes clear to all those Monacan players and fans that the Titans have just won the game. The touchdown and the realization of what has happened is devastating to the players and fans as they cannot believe it. Meanwhile the Titans fans and players are celebrating knowing they were that close to defeat.
In Conclusion:
Like Auburn & Alabama last year, this game will be talked about for years and coaches will use this to prepare their teams for anything and everything because you just never know. The wild ending has made it to youtube and around the country. Do a google search and Tuscon and Toldeo news outlets have capsules about it and I'm sure they are not the only ones. The Titans now advance to the 4A State Finals looking for their second state championship in three years. For the Chiefs, this one will sting for a long time to come, especially those seniors who won't return. This said, the Chiefs can hold their head high as for pretty much the entire game, the Chiefs had the Titans beat and played with one of the best in state and played them as hard as anyone has this season. In year three under Coach Henderson with Fludd returning at quarterback along with a host of others, the future is bright for Monacan and this might just be the start for them…
SCORING SUMMARY
1st QTR-
No scoring.
2nd QTR-
9:44- (Monacan)Syour Fludd 17-yard touchdown pass to Justin Moody, PAT good; Monacan 7-0.
3rd QTR-
9:56- (Monacan)Syour Fludd 59-yard touchdown pass to Le'Ron Gales, PAT good; Monacan 14-0.
3:41- (Lake Taylor)Shiheem Johnson 10-yard touchdown pass to Nhyre Quinerly, 2-point conversion fails; Monacan 14-6.
4th QTR-
8:08- (Lake Taylor)Shiheem Johnson 3-yard touchdown run, 2-point conversion fails; Monacan 14-12.
:14- (Lake Taylor)Marquise Poole touchdown, PAT good; Lake Taylor 19-14.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Monacan- Syour Fludd; 12 of 19 passing with two touchdowns and 238 yards passing.
Lake Taylor- Marquise Poole; without him picking up that live ball at the end, Titans lose this game..
EXTRA POINTS
Monacan's 11-3 record is the best in programs history.
Lake Taylor's 19 points was the fewest they have scored all season.
This post was edited on 12/6 8:36 PM by CRF4Dan
