Albemarle quarterback Lee Carneal played like a man possessed on senior night. Joe Anderson battled through an injury from earlier in the week. Kevin Gaines battled through one suffered during the game to make a clutch tackle. A.J. Willy came up with catches he’d never made before. Nick Troche and Timmy Aker were incredible offensive weapons. Reserve lineman Hunter McGhee was thrust into the starting punting role after asking this week in practice if he could try it out.
Everyone, it seemed, had a story Friday night in Albemarle’s final game of the season. But the most important story was the one they compiled together. Albemarle, sitting at 1-8 on the year going into the contest, knocked off Massaponax 33-28, beating the previously 7-2 Panthers for what’s believed to be the first time in school history.
“It proves to our kids that we can play with anybody in the Commonwealth,” said Albemarle coach Mike Alley.
Carneal got the incredible performance started with an interception at free safety on a ball that ricocheted off a Massaponax wideout’s hands. He also had a fumble recovery, scored twice on quarterback sneaks while rushing for 39 yards and threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns while going 18 for 26.
“My first two years our (junior varsity) teams went undefeated and last year we struggled — a lot of us weren’t used to that,” Carneal said. “We were all just used to winning and making big plays. It was actually overwhelming.”
Albemarle built a 27-7 lead by the third quarter and appeared in control of the ballgame. But Massaponax righted the ship with a terrific second half offensively as quarterback Alphonso Trice, wideout Joey Foster and Delante Jeffries all made big plays and the Panthers reeled off 21 straight points. Kris Hurt plunged over the goal line for a 5-yard touchdown with 5:04 left to put the Panthers up 28-27.
In a moment where it would have been easy for the Patriots to pack it in and talk about the kind of moral victory this senior class that’s endured just five total wins over three seasons has surely gotten sick of, Albemarle rallied.
With a solid run/pass mix, Albemarle drove 80 yards, overcoming back-to-back huge losses that created a third and 28 situation. On that play, Carneal scrambled for 15 yards and drew a late hit to put the ball on the Albemarle 41. That’s when Willy, who’d caught a ball in the endzone during the third quarter that ricocheted off a Massaponax defensive back’s helmet and another player’s hands, stepped up again. Running a deep pattern toward the sideline, Willy, who finished with 111 yards on eight catches, made a sliding grab for a 32-yard gain. Carneal dropped the ball in perfectly over the outstretched arms of the Massaponax corner.
“He called the play in the huddle and the way that the corners had played the previous play I knew I was going to be open,” Willy said. “(Carneal) just put it right in my hands.”
Carneal connected with Kevin Gaines on the next play for a 9-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone. The two-point conversion failed, but five points was enough of a lead for the Patriots.
Albemarle’s defense, while it surrendered 28 points, made stops when it mattered, including a pair of early third quarter stuffs that ended Massaponax drives on fourth and short. Gaines burst through for a huge tackle for a loss on a stretch play on the Panthers’ final possession with under two minutes to play. The tackle forced Massaponax’s triple-option oriented offense to turn to the air and the Panthers fizzled as Albemarle closed in on the win.
Nico Troche rushed for 59 yards to lead the Patriots’ ground game. Timmy Aker had six catches for 54 yards.
McGhee punted after Anderson, who played through a lot of pain, just a few days after asking the coaches to give it a shot. He got several crucial punts off under duress as the Panthers brought the heat on punt block.
“I could not let them block those, I had to get it off,” McGhee said.
All those random parts came together for the Patriots, who’ve struggled with myriad injuries and a tough road in a particularly-loaded Commonwealth. But ending the season on that note could pay huge dividends for Albemarle next year as Alley enters his third season at the helm.
“We always hear excuses about how tough the Commonwealth is but it comes to a time when you’ve got to step up, you’ve got to play,” Alley said. “They played their hearts out tonight.”
