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It’s been a little bit stop and start for Nic Drapanas in 2013. Sidelined during August camp with a collarbone injury, he returned early in the season then sat out another game in the early going with a different injury.
Friday night it looked like the senior wideout was back in his junior year form that earned him first team All-Scrimmage Play honors a year ago in a 42-16 victory over Louisa County.
Drapanas exploded in the second half a few minutes after winning Homecoming king, turning a five-yard slant into a 47-yard touchdown to put Western up for good. He finished with six catches for 146 yards and a pair of touchdowns, essentially doubling his stat line for the season (six catches for 148 yards and a touchdown) in a single night. The slant that kickstarted things was nearly snagged by another Warrior on the play
“I actually saw Kent (Henry)’s eyes and I knew (the slant) was to me and Dylan (Curry) was the one in front and I think he saw Kent’s eyes too,” Drapanas said. “He could’ve caught the ball too but he saw it wasn’t to him.”
It worked out perfectly for the Warriors. Drapanas and that catch were a big part of the offense finding its stride after a dismal first half, with Kent Henry posting another strong night with 235 yards and four touchdowns on 12 for 17 passing and another 74 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
For the second straight week, Western Albemarle found itself in a hole at halftime with a power run game and a stingy defense throwing a wrench into the works for the Warriors, much as it did against Albemarle last week. The first two quarters that included a couple of turnovers by Henry. But for the second straight week, Western made sure it didn’t matter much by the time the game was over with the explosive second half.
“We just couldn’t get a streak going on offense,” Drapanas said. “If we were getting open it was late when Kent was getting pressured and run out of the pocket. I think what turned it up in the second half is that we were getting our confidence from our defense.”
The Warriors stymied the Lions and Louisa did little to help itself with a series of poorly timed penalties that led to more than 90 yards worth of infractions on 12 flags.
“Every week (penalties are a problem),” said Louisa coach Jon Meeks. “I don’t know what to do. We have a guy who reffed for 20 something years on our staff and he refs every practice. He calls us when we’re offsides, calls us when we’re holding and helps us fix mistakes. Sometimes being young will bite you a little but I don’t know.”
Western reeled off 35 unanswered points as the Lions faltered and Louisa’s run game slowed down in the second half too as the penalties and deficit stacked up. Still, the Lions enjoyed a breakout game from freshman Deon Jackson and another strong effort from Deion Johnson, with Jackson going for 86 yards on 17 touches while Johnson went for 148 total yards of offense with 102 on the ground an another 46 on a single catch that served as Louisa’s entire passing total.
The Warriors outgained Louisa just 324 yards to 297 in total offense on the night.
Steven Hearn had a solid night for the Warriors at wideout too with 65 yards and a touchdown on four receptions while Chase Stokes also caught a touchdown. Michael Mullin and Osiris Crutchfield each had a sack while Josh Meeks was in a pair of stops in the backfield.
The victory by the Warriors sets up a huge clash with rival and fellow unbeaten Monticello on the road Friday while the Lions take on Fluvanna County as they try and get back on track after two straight losses.
