Charlottesville has options in the ground game. Lots of them. There’s Sabias Folley, Lorenzo Louderback, Tre Durrett, Rakeem Davis and even Sam Neale that are capable of picking up yards in big chunks. At some point you start to worry if there are enough carries to even go around.
Folley doesn’t share that concern.
“There are enough carries, we’ll find them,” Folley said. “With all our backs, you just give them the rock and they can do amazing things.”
There was plenty of action to go around Friday as the Black Knights leaned on Folley, Tre Durrett and an incredible defensive effort as they picked apart William Monroe to the tune of a 52-6 victory. It was the kind of performance that Charlottesville coach Eric Sherry expected from the Black Knights in the preseason.
“We played really well against, what I think is a really good team,” Sherry said. “I think we’re executing really well on both sides, we know our assignments. Things are coming together real well.”
A week after scoring four touchdowns against Harrisonburg, Folley again rose to the occasion as the Black Knights’ workhorse running back. He rushed for 171 yards and two touchdowns on 14 touches including a 77-yard sprint in the second quarter where he broke a pair of early tackles before hitting the sideline and exploding up field. Folley did the vast majority of that damage in the first half behind a vastly-improved offensive line.
“They came out and dominated,” Folley said. “Sam made good reads and you saw the outcome.”
Durrett also gave the Black Knights a huge spark. He scored twice on the ground and also had a pick six where he raced in from 60 yards out early in the third quarter. On one sequence late in the first half, the Black Knights called Durrett’s number three times in a row, with Sam Neale finding him for 36 yards in the air down to the nine followed by two runs with the second going for a score.
“Tre is a great player,” said Charlottesville senior Sadarius Folley. “Our running backs are great, but our offensive line makes them look just that much better, it’s a team effort.”
Durrett finished with 103 yards of total offense on just eight touches.
“He’s a big-time player all year round,” Sherry said. “Every day in the weight room. The kid loves football, loves his teammates. He’s getting success he deserves.”
Durrett’s pick six was one of five Monroe turnovers as the Black Knights’ defense clamped down, particularly in the second half where they had another interception return for a touchdown by X’Zavier Stinnie that came from 95 yards out. Neale and Ben Casarez also had interceptions, with Neale’s setting up Durrett’s second touchdown in the second quarter. Beyond those turnovers though, the Black Knights showed a physical, aggressive defensive approach that made a huge difference, taking the Dragons completely out of rhythm.
“We had people flying around and hitting,” Sadarius Folley said. “Eleven hats to the ball every play, it was crazy.”
Neale threw a touchdown pass in addition to his interception, finding T.J. Houchens for his second touchdown from 40 yards out in the second half. Houchens caught his first touchdown in the second half a little earlier, hauling in another 40-yarder from Rakeem Davis.
Monroe couldn’t overcome the absence of star middle linebacker Rayquone Wayne, who was out of the lineup and would’ve given the Dragons a much better chance against the Black Knights’ ground attack. Charlottesville took advantage with both Folley and Durrett gutting the Dragons repeatedly up the middle.
When combined with those five turnovers, it was simply too much of a hole for the Dragons to climb out of as Charlottesville pulled away.
“Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes,” said Monroe coach Jon Rocha. “It was amazing, but when you play a team as good as Charlottesville, it’s going to cost you. They’re so improved, they’re going to win a lot of games.”
One of the lone bright spots for the Dragons came in the first half when Malique Shackelford found Kam’ron McCain for a 49-yard touchdown pass. But the offense sputtered from the point on, struggling to move the ball and score.
The Dragons now jump into Bull Run District play where they’ll look to turn around a 1-2 start beginning with George Mason Friday. The Black Knights, meanwhile will start the Jefferson District portion of their schedule on the road against Fluvanna.
They’ll also keep making sure there are more than enough carries to go around.
“Oh yeah, there are enough,” Durrett said. “We’re all motivated, we’re all ready to play.”
