Gallery by Ashley Honaker
LINDSIDE – This past March James Monroe won the Class A state basketball championship.
Now the Mavericks will have a chance to double down on that accomplishment by winning a state football title.
Friday afternoon at H.E Comer Jr. Sports Complex, James Monroe punched its ticket to the state championship game with a dominating 27-7 semifinal win over Wheeling Central.
“I felt like we could beat them, but you know me, I worry about every game no matter who we are playing,” James Monroe head coach John Mustain said. “I am so proud and amazed at what our defense did tonight. Not taking anything away from our offense, but when you play a team like that, the defense better show up. We definitely did tonight.”
Hosting a semifinal game for the third time in its history, the Mavericks wanted to start fast and all-stater Eli Allen made sure that happened.
Allen jump-started the Mavs by returning the opening kickoff 40 yards into Wheeling Central territory.
Eight plays later, Allen reeled in a 24-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Layton Dowdy and the Plowboys never looked back.
“I was thinking before the game that (assistant) coach (Jason) Goodman had said that no one had taken a (kickoff) to the house this year,” Allen said. “That kind of stuck with me. I haven’t played special teams really until the playoffs. I was thinking that would set the tone if I could take one back. I was so close, but my own player tackled me.”
Struggling mightily to move the ball against the Mavs defense, the visitors got a break late in the first quarter when James Monroe fumbled inside the Central five-yard line.
“We had some hiccups in the game and we likely could have scored two or maybe three more touchdowns,” Mustain said. “Those things are going to happen though. Again, thank goodness for our defense. Coach Goodman had a game plan and the kids followed it to a T.”
What seemed like a break turned to disaster when the top running back for the Maroon Knights, Lorenzo Ferrera, went down with a knee injury and did not return to the game.
Allen’s torrid first half continued later in the quarter.
After the two teams traded punts, Allen struck again grabbing his eighth interception of the season, returning the ball inside Central territory at the 40-yard line.
“My coach is always telling me that big players make big plays. That is kind of my mindset,” Allen said. “Anybody can do it once in a while, but I want to do consistently.”
Four plays later it was Dowdy to Allen again from 28 yards out to give the home team a 14-0 lead at the break.
“You have heard me say it time and again. Eli is just one of those special athletes, no matter the sport,” Mustain said. “He understands the game. He doesn’t just have physical ability, he has a lot of game smarts about him.”
Held to less than 20 yards of total offense in the first half and just one first down, Central hit a pass for 15 yards just three plays in for its initial first down of the second half.
However, four plays later the Maroon Knights were punting the ball back to James Monroe and never saw the ball the remainder of the third quarter.
The Mavericks grinded nearly nine minutes off of the clock before eventually punting the ball back to Wheeling Central.
“I was so happy to see us run that much time off the clock,” Mustain said.
Although James Monroe did not score on the time consuming drive, it did score a series later to basically seal the game.
The game went to 21-0 when Dowdy threw his third touchdown of the night, a 19-yard strike to Nicklas Pitcher.
Central added a late touchdown on a five-yard run from Riley Watkins, but the ensuing onside kick basically summed up night for the Maroon Knights.
Will Boggess snagged the kick and raced 51-yards for the final score of the contest.
James Monroe will be making its second appearance in the state championship game. The veteran coach is clearly not taking the accomplishment for granted.
“The last time we made it was in 2007, so it has been awhile. We have had some pretty good teams since that time and we have had a good program over the years. Overall our program has been one of the better ones in the state. Hopefully we can get the job done this time.”
The Class A state championship game will be played Saturday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m.
WC: 0 0 0 7 – 7
JM: 7 7 0 13 – 27
First quarter
JM: Eli Allen 24 pass from Layton Dowdy (Owen Jackson kick)
Second quarter
JM: Allen 27 pass from Dowdy (Jackson kick)
Fourth quarter
JM: Nicklas Pitzer 19 pass (Jackson kick)
WC: Riley Watkins 5 run (Eli Tucker kick)
JM: Will Boggess 51 kick return (pass failed)
Stats:
Rushing: (WC): Lorenzo Ferrera 2-5, Riley Watkins 9-15-1, Payton Hildebrand 8-11, Eli Tucker 4-5, Isaac Martin 1-2.
(JM) Cooper Ridgeway 19-89, Allen 1-5, Dowdy 8-(-14), Carr 14-91, Chaz Boggs 1-7.
Passing: (WC) Hildebrand 6-15-1-49
(JM) Dowdy 7-11-0-96-3
Receiving: (WC) Ferrera 1-1, Braden McWreath 1-1, Riley Watkins 2-36, Paxton Marley 2-11.
(JM): Allen 4-64-2, Pitzer 1-19-1, Ridgeway 1-8, Boggs 1-5
