Western Albemarle took what Cave Spring was giving it early — some room to run.
With Oliver Herndon and Kent Henry chewing up yardage, the No. 2-seeded Warriors raced out to a three-touchdown lead by early in the second quarter and rolled 42-14 over the No. 15 Knights in the 3A West first round.
“We wanted to get out defensively and smack them in the mouth and then drive down the field on offense — we wanted to get off the field quick,” said Western lineman Donte Henry.
The Warriors did just that and showed a physical edge to the run game that’s been there at times this season but hasn’t consistently showed up with the offensive line leading the way. Henry finished with 120 yards and a touchdown on 18 touches while Herndon went for 99 yards and a pair of scores on 12 carries. Josh Meeks also scored on the ground for the Warriors.
It helped that Cave Spring seemed intent on not giving up big plays in the passing game, leaving just a few defenders in the box. Eventually the run game opened up the passing game, with Henry spreading the ball to five different pass catchers for multiple receptions. Steven Hearn’s three catches for 58 yards led the quintet, with Chase Stokes, Herndon, Dylan Curry and Tre Banks all getting in on the act.
On the other side of the ball, the Western defense put together one of its better performances of the year too as the defensive line — led by Osiris Crutchfield, Donte Henry and Patrick Maupin — terrorized the Cave Spring backfield all night. Henry, a first team All-Jefferson District offensive lineman, saw his first action on defense, and he made the most of the opportunity, bringing pressure up the middle for the Warriors all night.
“That made my night the way he played,” said Hearn, who also plays defensive back.
Maupin and Henry both drew a lot of attention and some double teams and that opened things up for Crutchfield, who had three sacks on the night. Crutchfield got beat a couple of times coming a little too far upfield, but his aggressive nature paid off all night against the Knights as the sophomore continues to emerge as one of the area’s best young defensive linemen.
“That’s been me since I was eight years old first playing football, going in the backfield, that’s what I like to do,” Crutchfield said. “I’ve got to work on it…we’re going to get that fixed.”
Maupin also had a sack as Cave Spring struggled to move the ball through the air, particularly in the early going. Except for a couple of long runs by Cave Spring’s Tyler Rice including a 98-yard sprint for a score, the Warriors’ defense contained the Knights’ attack for the most part.
“I tell (the defense) before games that we’re known as the weakest link of this team and that’s not right,” Hearn said. “We’ve got a little passion in our stomach, a little extra fire from people saying that we’re the weakest link of this team and knowing we’ve got to end that rumor.”
Western advances to the second round of the 3A West tournament where they’ll face off against Magna Vista at home.
