Monarchs Upset Maury 28-7
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style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'>Monarchs Pull Upset:
style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
style=> What a difference a year makes.
style=> In 2013, the Menchville
Monarchs were steamrolled 62-0 by the Maury Commodores in Norfolk, finishing
with negative 27 yards. It marked the
first of six straight games without a touchdown.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Turn the calendar to 2014 and things were far better
for the Newport News school when they opened up the season at John B. Todd
Stadium on Friday night, shocking the visiting Commodores 28-7.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Not too shabby for a team that was outscored 440-32 a
season ago. The Monarchs have already
matched their win total from last year and it's not even September yet.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"It was a personal game to us.
style=> We lost to them 62-0 last year.
style=> We just came ready to play," said
class=SpellE>Menchville junior tailback
normal'>Torey Guilford, who turned only five carries into 134 yards rushing
and a pair of touchdowns.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Guilford's 80-yard scamper with 3:21 left in the first
quarter gave Menchville a lead they would not
relinquish the rest of the night. These
clearly are not your 2013 Monarchs.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
"Yeah, no thunderstorms or two-hour delays.
style=> I think that makes a big difference," quipped
Menchville Head Football Coach
normal'>Glenn Tidwell. "It's really
big, not for me, but exciting for those guys because these guys haven't had a
winning season since the mid-90's."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>He had plenty of reason to smile afterwards.
style=> Even though it was a sloppily played game
with both teams combining for 22 penalties for 228 yards and six turnovers, all
of which came in the game's first 13 minutes, the Monarchs rose to the occasion
time and time again.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"I think I had the job five weeks before we played them
[last year]. Having a whole 8-9 months
to a year has really paid off. We hit
the weight room December 2nd and have been going ever since," Tidwell added.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Maury, which finished 8-4 last season and advanced to
the second round of the 5A-South regional playoffs, managed to pile up 192 yard
rushing on 48 attempts. Junior
class=SpellE>Delveon
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Little rushed for 112 yards on 26
carries. However, the Commodores saw
drives fizzle out on third and fourth down, were plagued by penalties and turnovers,
and couldn't solve the Menchville defense over the
game's final three quarters.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Although it wasn't a postseason game, the win certainly
raised spirits and morale for a program that has been yearning for something to
celebrate about.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"It means a lot for Menchville.
style=> We made history.
style=> The hard work in the off-season, pushing
plates, running, pushing each other, our coaches, it all played a big part,"
commented Menchville senior defensive end/tight end
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Elijah Murphy, who has an offer from
James Madison and is also being recruited heavily by Marshall.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
mso-highlight:yellow'>Play of the Game:
Oddly enough, it came on a pass completion for Maury on 4th-and-17
that nearly resulted in a touchdown as freshman triggerman
normal'>Kevin Mills completed a pass to tight end and ODU commit
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Derek Wilder past the first down
marker. As Wilder tried to break away
from defenders and muscle his way into the end zone, the ball was knocked out
by Monarchs junior linebacker Ray Savage
III and recovered by senior strong safety
normal'>Xavier Keys for a touchback.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Instead of Maury leading 14-2, Menchville
dodged a bullet and would go on to score 26 unanswered points to secure their
first win in a season opener since 2006.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"That was huge. We
told them big plays were going to happen whether it was us or them and you can't
put your head down. I think that slowly
is sinking into their brains that things are going to happen and you can't get
down," Tidwell remarked.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"If it had been 14-2, I think we still would've turned
around and done some things because the first two plays that I called for the
day that were both turnovers were the same play we scored on that 80-yard run."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
mso-highlight:yellow'>Steer the Veer:
With four starters back on the offensive line and two ball carriers
that got significant playing time returning, Menchville
was optimistic about what they could do in their split-veer attack.
style=> Few could've envisioned them breaking off the
big gainers that they did, though.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Guilford's two long runs of 80 and 47 yards sent Maury
for a loop and showed that he could be a real factor in the Peninsula District
this season.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"He's an explosive guy.
He's worked real hard in the weight room in the off-season and he's run
track, both indoor and outdoor, worked on his speed," Tidwell stated.
style=> "Of course, you saw that and he was
gone. They weren't going to catch
him. He's a great kid, good student and
overall a good player for us."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Supporting him in the run game were junior
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Malik Dixon and senior
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Richard Smith.
style=> Each added a touchdown with Smith finding the
end zone on a 10-yard run that would give the Monarchs an eight-point cushion
entering the second quarter Dixon scoring on a 61-yard burst that pushed the
advantage to 15 points in the third period.
Those three combined for 227 yards on 25 attempts.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
mso-highlight:yellow'>Red Zone Defense:
In addition to the three takeaways, the Menchville
defense played physical and with a purpose when they had to buckle down,
particularly in the red zone. Three
times Maury got inside the 20-yard line and got stopped on fourth down.
style=>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Defenders like Murphy, Savage, Keys, junior linebacker
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Robert McFaddin and
senior lineman Kenneth Kirby (the
nephew of ex-NFL player and Tabb High standout Terry Kirby) led the
charge. Menchville
was able to sub extra bodies in there so that played didn't get too fatigued
before the fourth quarter.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"Last year, we were very young, and we're still fairly
young right now. We've built a lot of
depth to where we rotated linemen linebackers in to where I think their numbers
weren't nearly as big as ours," Tidwell noted.
"That sort of wore down on them, and our kids were exhausted, too.
style=> The depth on the defensive side really helped
us because it made things a little easier for us."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
mso-highlight:yellow'>So How About 2-0?
style=> Menchville could
suddenly start to talk about and seriously think about the playoffs if they're
able to beat Bethel on August 29th at Darling Stadium.
style=> The Monarchs haven't beaten the Bruins since
2002 with four of the 11 consecutive losses in that stretch being of the
shutout variety. Knock them off and a
playoff berth, their first since 1993, might be within reach by season's end in
5A-South.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Defeating Maury and doing so by the margin they did - -
two touchdowns away from a running clock - - should surely get the attention of
those on the Monarchs' schedule now.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"It's one game.
We still have nine more to go. We
can't be satisfied with winning just the first game.
style=> But to start off 1-0 gives us a lot of
confidence," Tidwell admitted.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"We'll probably find out what type of coaches we are
because this will be the toughest week of coaching, getting them off that
high. We have a lot of things to work on
[and] they know. We'll watch film on Monday,
see all the things we did well, what we didn't do well and fix them.
style=> Hopefully it'll pay dividends against Bethel."
style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>
115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";text-decoration:none;text-underline:
none'>Postgame Audio with Menchville Coach Glenn
Tidwell
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Final Stats:
style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Menchville
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>
115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'> Monarchs 28:
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>
115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
(1-0 Overall)
Torey Guilford - - 5Car. 134Yds. 2TD's
Malik Dixon - - 10Car. 83Yds. TD; 3 Tackles
Richard Smith - - 10Car. 40Yds. TD
A.J. Wyatt - - 2-2 for 16Yds. 0-0TD/Int. ratio
Xavier Keys - - 9 Tackles (7 Solo), 2TFL
Robert McFaddin - - 8 Tackles (5 Solo), QBH
style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Maury
Commodores 7:
style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
style=> (0-1 Overall)
Delveon Little - - 26Car. 112Yds;
2TFL, Sack
Kevin Mills - - 7-23 for 56Yds. 1-1TD/Int. ratio
Markell Wood - - 14Car. 95Yds; 1Rec. 21Yds. TD
Derek Wilder - - 3Rec. 35Yds; 4 Solo Tackles
Tyrique Sharpe - - 9 Tackles (8 Solo)
Vershawd Coleman - - 4 Solo Tackles, Fumble Recovery
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