William Monroe could not have asked for a better start. Between a pair of defensive stops and then a pair of drives that gave the visiting Dragons a two-possession lead, Madison County was forced to try and play catch-up while Monroe simply went to work on putting together first downs and moving the chains before getting some big plays. The Mountaineers threatened late and never truly went away, but on a night where Madison honored its first ever football team from 1946 and its 1976 state championship teams at halftime, the story of the game was the Monroe offensive line and the running that quarterback Malique Shackelford did behind a defense that bent but didn’t break against an explosive offense.
“We are playing as team now and have done it two weeks straight,” said Dragons coach John Rocha. “When we lost to Clarke, nobody was doing their job on the defensive side of the ball. So we went back to basics… Now everyone knows what they’re supposed to be doing and it’s paying off.”
Shackelford accounted for all four touchdowns for the Dragons. Monroe took an 8-0 lead when the senior quarterback first found Kam’ron McCain for a big gain in the air to set up first and goal, allowing Shackelford to take it for a 3-yard touchdown rush followed by a 2-pt convert run.
“We have an offensive that’s been developing each week since August 1st,” Shackelford said. “Being a quarterback and knowing that the blocks will be there is great. We had our game plan coming in — to pound the ball inside and that’s what we did.”
On the next drive, the Dragons rolled the dice on fourth and one from deep in Monroe territory. Shackelford came through with a 3-yard run to move the chains. Then he found Jalen McKinnie on screen pass for 55 yards to put the Dragons in the redzone. From there the Dragons inched towards the goalline before Shackelford found the endzone on another keeper, this time from a yard out.
“Madison has been coming back in games so we knew that every chance we had we had to keep the foot on the pedal,” Shackelford said. “That was great for us to come out and get the early momentum.”
Madison needed an answer on its ensuing drive and got just that. Runs from Isiah Smith and a reception from Dre Twyman and run from Chris Smith gave the Mountaineers first and goal. And while Monroe was able to force a fourth and goal situation from the three yard line, Chris Smith battled through to punch in the touchdown to make it a 15-6 game.
The Dragons put together a late drive in the second half with McCain giving his team great field position after a big interception return. Shackelford converted on a third and long run from 15 yards out and it was 22-6 late in the second.
Madison got to the goal line with 1.3 seconds left in the second but the Dragons defense held serve and went into the break with their 16-point lead in tact.
“We got down in the redzone twice and didn’t come away with points and that really hurt us,” said Madison coach Stuart Deane. “Those are opportunities we have to take advantage of.”
In the third, both teams traded turnovers on downs at midfield to start. The Dragons then got a 44-yard touchdown run from Shackelford and went up up 29-6.
Once again needed a response, the Mountaineers got one when Isiah Smith took the first play of the fourth quarter for a 30-yard dash to the endzone to cut the lead to 29-12. And while Smith struck again late in the fourth with a 74-yard touchdown run to get it to an 11-point game.
“I’m proud of the kids because they always fight hard,” Deane said. “We’ve got some kids who just keep getting after it and it was a very physical game. Monroe did what they do and were very good at it tonight running the ball.”
The ensuing onside kick wound up in Monroe’s hands and the Dragons were able to kill the clock and wrap up the win.
“We had such a great week of practice, the coaches, we were asking ‘could this carry over?’ and it did,” Rocha said. “It was phenomenal week of practice and so obviously if we can just get it to carry over again it sets up the biggest week of the year for us — a chance to be Central Woodstock.”
On the night, Shackelfrod was 7-for-11 passing with 161 yards and had 24 carries for 129 yards and four scores. McKinnie and Greg Sizemore helped Monroe put up just under 300 yards of total rushing with respective lines of 15 carries for 62 yards and 13 carries for 60.
For Madison, Isiah Smith led all rushers with 20 touches for 232 yards while also hauling in two passes for 57 yards.
“He made so many great runs and we had to use him in a lot of different ways,” Deane said. “Once he gets through that initial line we know he’ll take care of the opportunity.”
Chris Smith went 10-for-17 passing with 165 yards and had 11 runs for 28 yards. Twyman had five catches for 53 yards.
Monroe (4-3) hosts Central Woodstock next week while Madison (4-3) heads to Strasburg.
