By Logan Riddick / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
No. 10 Charlottesville bounced back from last week’s thumping as Monticello’s homecoming opponent and scored the first seven touchdowns in its own homecoming game en route to a 47-14 win over Orange County.
“Last week we were so disappointed with how we played; we ran into a buzz saw,” said Charlottesville coach Eric Sherry. “I thought we had a really good week of practice. Homecoming week always makes me nervous because of distractions, but I thought the kids persevered through it.”
The Hornets shot themselves in the foot repeatedly with four first-half turnovers, each of which led to Black Knight touchdowns. The trouble started on the game’s third play, as Malik Ragland picked off Garrett Johnson and set up the offense at the Orange 22. Two runs by senior quarterback Chris Thurston covered all 22 yards and gave Charlottesville the early lead. After the teams exchanged punts, an Orange drive into Charlottesville territory ended when junior defensive back Nick Epps recovered Isaiah Ferguson’s fumble at the 32. Thurston flipped the field with a 38-yard run down the left sideline on the Knights’ next play, and then capped the eight-play drive with a six-yard touchdown pass to Leon Straus.
“They’re a very good football team and you can’t give them opportunities,” said Orange coach Keita Malloy. “Four picks, a fumble. I don’t care if you’re an NFL team, college team, high school, pee-wee, you cannot turn the football over.”
Early in the second quarter, Straus nearly added a score on special teams when he returned Orange’s next punt 76 yards, but a flag brought the ball back to the Knights’ 43. This time, the offense drove the distance with nine running plays, with Thurston converting fourth-and-one at the Hornets’ 7, and sophomore Rashad Brock scoring from six yards out. Thurston rushed for the two-point conversion and a 21-0 lead midway through the period.
“They were just ready to work,” said Thurston of the Knights’ ground game. “They told me from the start, ‘Chris, we’re getting you in there,’ and I was like, ‘Just lead the way.’”
Orange’s next two series ended with interceptions by Straus and Epps. Charlottesville drove 94 yards after Straus’s play. Brock broke off runs of 26 and 44 yards, and Thurston capped the drive from nine yards out. Epps returned his pick into Hornets’ territory. Two plays later, Thurston hit Straus on a bubble screen that he took 25 yards for a touchdown, putting the Knights up 34-0 at the half.
“We really focused on doing the little things in practice this week as far as our coverage and cleaning our stuff up,” Sherry said. “I think our kids responded to that. It put them in positions to make plays and they executed.”
The Black Knights’ squad was well-represented in the homecoming court introductions, with Thurston named king just as Rashard Davis was in 2012. Thurston added the crown to his four first half touchdowns and 151 yards of offense (120 rushing, 31 passing).
“I love my school,” said Thurston of the halftime honor. “I’m a Black Knight for life.”
Charlottesville initiated a running clock when Epps ran for a six-yard touchdown on the first drive of the third quarter. Epps made his second interception late in the quarter and returned it 43 yards to the Hornets’ 3. Senior Malique Ward capped the Knights’ scoring with an eight-yard run and, following her appearance on the homecoming court, junior kicker Mo Brown converted the PAT.
Orange got on the board with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns: Isaiah Ferguson capped an 11-play, 87-yard drive with a six yard run, and Johnson completed a deep pass to Damian Clark for a 42-yard score. Johnson finished 12-for-22 for 169 yards, with Clark as his top target with four catches for 90 yards. Mikael Wallace was the workhorse in the ground game with 17 carries for 53 yards; Ferguson added 35 yards on eight rushes.
Charlottesville posted 414 yards of offense behind Thurston’s 125 rushing and 31 passing. Brock posted a game-high 158 yards on 11 rushes, and Hunter Rolph added 39 with three runs of 13 yards each.
Charlottesville (3-3) will renew an old central Virginia rivalry with a trip to Albemarle (3-3) next Friday, as both schools look to improve playoff seeding in the North Region of their respective classes.
