Sometimes when things aren’t going your way, the best move you can make is to get back to basics.
For Louisa County, that’s single wing, power running football and when they went to it almost exclusively in the second half, it made all the difference as the Lions scored 29-straight points en route to a 44-20 victory that turned a 20-15 halftime deficit on its head.
“A lot of us were frustrated and angry so we had to settle down and do what Louisa does best — run the football,” said Louisa offensive lineman Eli Brooks.
Brooks, just a sophomore, led the convoy on a lot of those runs that sprang Kalep Shelton for a monster night with 184 yards and a touchdown on 22 touches and Landon Wilson for another 131 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Louisa piled up 405 yards of rushing, allowing them to overcome an Orange team that played wide open from the opening kick.
“At halftime I told the kids we’re going to line up and play Louisa football,” said Louisa coach Will Patrick. “That’s what we did offensively and defensively in the second half.”
Wilson’s improved ability on the ground gave the run game a dimension it didn’t have when he was playing the spot as a freshman. He made increasing his speed and dynamism a part of his offseason focus and it was even more apparent against the Hornets than it was against Charlottesville.
“That’s our bread and butter in Louisa and Orange didn’t adjust to it so we kept going at it,” Wilson said. “I worked so hard, I knew this moment would come where I had to start running. I mean, my 40 is down half a second so I’m showing it off now.”
That switch to the power run game was the counterpunch though to what Orange unleashed in the first half as the Hornets put the Lions on the ropes during those first two quarters. The Hornets got some gritty play from Paul Porier in his first start at quarterback and jumped up 6-0 with a methodical, 14-play opening drive capped by Markell Jackson scoring from seven yards out.
The Lions answered and scored but Orange sustained and answered with Doug Newsome breaking off a long kick return to setup the next drive. That march ended with Porier connecting with Bryant Chiles for a 5-yard touchdown out of a funky formation by the Hornets that had an ineligible player lined up wide. After some discussion among the referees, the play stood and Orange followed with even more funk, running their own version of Philly Special, the quarterback throwback play that Philadelphia used in the 2018 Super Bowl, with Donald Brooks finding Porier for the two-point conversion and a 14-7 lead.
“I’m thrilled — our kids fought and represented Orange County in a really good way, we took them to four quarters,” said Orange coach Jesse Lohr.
Louisa bounced back to take a 15-14 lead when Wilson hit Chase Miller for a touchdown and then the Lions converted the 2-point try, but the half was far from over. After Orange stalled, Brooks picked off a Wilson pass and raced inside the five with 1:36 to play.
“Donald is a player — that interception sets us up before halftime to get a big score,” Lohr said. “The kids executed the gameplan and we just tired out down the stretch and we made the most of the situation..”
The pick set up Jackson for his second touchdown of the night on the next play. The Hornets led 20-15 at the break.
“I knew we were going to get Orange’s best shot — that’s a rivalry game and I know Coach Lohr pretty well and I knew he’d have his guys ready,” Patrick said. “(They) had a very good first half and we managed to stay within striking distance.”
Louisa responded in that second half, with Wilson turning on the jets for a 35-yard touchdown to retake a lead the Lions wouldn’t relinquish again. Wilson and Shelton went to work while Jordan Smith tacked on a touchdown early in the fourth and then Troy Fischer scored out of the up back spot in the single wing.
While the offense was cooking and chewing up the ground game, the Lions’ defense reverted to its smothering form that it had showed earlier in the week against Charlottesville. On Orange’s first two drives in the second half, the Lions forced a three and out, got a combination sack from A.J. Proffitt and Quinton Wash on fourth down to force a turnover on downs. The Lions’ defensive line plays a critical in not just creating pressure and disrupting offenses, but in setting the tone for Louisa game-in and game-out.
“That’s our main source of energy, they come out and punch them in the mouth, that’s where the energy for the offense comes from,” Wilson said.
Those early stops were enough to put Louisa in control as the offense controlled possession for the bulk of the second half. The Lions’ defense held Orange to 104 yards of total offense including just 25 yards on the ground and Louisa held that Hornets scoreless after the break.
Orange’s Doug Newsome finished with 33 yards on five catches while William Lewis chipped in a huge grab for 26 yards in the first half.
Orange will host Charlottesville Friday while the Lions will host Monticello the same night looking to move to 3-0 on the year.
