Thanks to a big first half, William Monroe football beat George Mason 28-7 to pick up another critical win as the Dragons look to lock up a home game in the first round of the Region 3B playoffs.
In what’s becoming a typical Friday night load for the senior, Monroe gave the ball to Dupree Rucker 31 times and Rucker ripped off 229 yards including a pair of touchdowns. Rucker was a big part of the 14-0 advantage the Dragons held at the end of the first quarter.
Quarterback Jared Knights picked up a touchdown on the ground and another through the air to Logan Barbour to complement Rucker’s hard-nosed running. Barbour carried the ball five times for 31 yards on end arounds and also had an interception on defense.
Knights completed three of his five passes for 27 total yards. Michael McCauley chipped in 15 yards on eight touches. The Dragons kept the chains moving all night, converting six of their 10 third attempts and one of two fourth down tries.
Defensively, the Dragons held George Mason scoreless until the fourth quarter, with sacks from David Mack and Isaiah Taylor leading the way. The Dragons bottled up George Mason’s ground game for the most part, holding the Mustangs to just 125 yards on the ground on the night. Monroe stepped up in a big way on third downs, holding George Mason to just three conversions on 12 attempts.
The Dragons (5-4) will close out the regular season Friday on the road against Central Woodstock.
