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Early Explosion: Fast start powers Louisa past Charlottesville

Photo by Ashley Thornton

 

When Charlottesville stumbled out of the gate with a series of fumbles, Thursday night became the type of clash where Louisa could win 48-12 over the Black Knights while working on some different dimensions, leaning on some different players and putting some things on tape that will at least give future opponents pause.

 

Like Night Train.

 

“(My youth coach) liked the way I ran the ball so he gave me the nickname Night Train and it just stuck with me,” said Adrain Williams, who is listed as a guard on the Louisa roster and wears No. 55. “I’ve been very excited for this opportunity to run the ball, I’ve been doing it my whole life. I told coach I could run the ball and he said he was going to give me a chance.”

 

The Lions handed the ball to Williams, who checks in at 5-foot-9, 242 pounds, four straight times late in the first half, with Williams diving over a pair of defenders to find the endone after runs of 10, four and five yards.

 

“I tried to run them over but they got too low for me so I just went over them,” Williams said of his scoring run.

 

Williams pushed the Louisa advantage to 41-0 with 2:57 to play in the first half en route to a 48-0 halftime lead.

 

Louisa (9-0) jumped out to that huge lead because the Black Knights fumbled the ball three times in the first half and the Lions cashed in each time. The first recovery came on the Black Knights’ opening drive that had a promising start.

 

“The triple option is very much assignment football, and I thought our defense really stepped up there,” said Louisa coach Will Patrick. “We had a real short week to prepare for the triple option but our boys got off the bus and showed up and played.”

 

Robbie Guinn and Noah Robinson each recovered fumbles as the defensive held Charlottesville to just 38 yards of offense in the first half with Brandon Smith laying a monster hit on one rushing attempt while the defensive line wreaked havoc on the Black Knights’ triple option.

 

“We knew coming in that we were going to have to execute pretty much 100 percent and we didn’t obviously do that,” said Charlottesville coach Eric Sherry. “A lot of that credit goes to them, I think they’re a pretty good football team.”

 

Meanwhile, Louisa quarterback Rob Allinder also had a fast start, throwing a 54-yard bomb down the left sideline to Robinson on Louisa’s first offensive play.

 

“I thought Allinder played really well tonight, made some great decisions, threw some good balls on the move,” Patrick said.

 

Allinder went on to go 7-for-14 for 171 yards and three scores (with a 38-yard run thrown in for good measure) as the Lions found a rhythm in the air. Allinder hit Robert Morgan on an arching swing pass in stride late in the first half to run the score to 48-0.

 

“Robbie just told me to throw it up to him and he made the rest of the play and scored,” Allinder said. “We had a great game plan going in, we just executed.”

 

Allinder’s other two touchdowns went to Gabriel Cuozzo from 16 yards out and Robinson from 33 yards out. Robinson had three catches for 97 yards on the night. Louisa smartly opted not to put any unnecessary wear and tear on Jarett Hunter, but the junior running back still rushed for 50 yards on his four touches.

 

Isaiah Washington and Quincy Edwards gave the Black Knights a spark in the second half against the Lions’ second team defense, with Edwards scoring on a 24-yard run before Washington found him for a 40-yard touchdown catch and run.

 

“I wasn’t happy at halftime but I think we pulled it together in the second half,” Sherry said. “(Washington) is a competitor, he’s going to keep grinding, he’s going to keep playing.”

 

Charlottesville’s Sabias Folley finished with 60 yards on nine carries and an interception.

 

The Black Knights will get one last shot at a win this year on the road against Monticello Thursday night while Louisa hosts Fluvanna County on senior night in a game that could have critical playoff implications. The Lions got a big boost toward potentially hosting throughout the region playoffs with Hopewell knocking off Dinwiddie 7-0 Thursday night.

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