Albemarle’s football team simply refused to go away. Not with a potentially huge win on the line.
Down 10 points with seven minutes to play, Albemarle scored twice down the stretch to edge out Patrick Henry-Roanoke 20-17 and snag a huge road win against a Group 5A school. It’s a win that could be a critical one when Albemarle starts jockeying for playoff position down the stretch.
“That’s a great road win against a well-coached team,” said Albemarle coach Brandon Isaiah. “We came closer together tonight.”
Tyquan Rose scored the Patriots’ second touchdown on a jet sweep from 65 yards out to pull the Patriots within four at 17-13 in the fourth quarter. Lorenz Brown then provided what stood up as the dagger, hauling in a bomb from J’Quan Anderson to put Albemarle up 20-17 in the closing minutes.
Then for the second-straight game, Albemarle’s secondary made a big interception at the right time. Against Kettle Run two weeks ago it was Kris Anderson’s pick six. This time senior Eric McDowell rose up for a pick. Albemarle tried to melt the clock but had to punt, giving Patrick Henry one more shot. Albemarle’s defense stood tall though, turning Patrick Henry over on downs to preserve the 20-17 margin and seal a win with 19 seconds to play.
Albemarle will now move on to a date with Louisa County in The Jungle next week for the Lions’ homecoming contest.
“We will have to enjoy this only for a short moment because we have a dogfight looming at the end of next week,” Isaiah said. “I have a ton of respect for (Louisa coach Mark Fischer) and it’s always an honor to be on the same field as him.”
