Monticello got on the scoreboard first and held the lead over visiting Orange County for nearly the entire contest in their Jefferson District matchup on Friday. With just over a minute remaining in the final quarter, however, junior running back Christopher Loveless crossed into the endzone from five yards out to give the Fighting Hornets the lead.
Quarterback Jeremiah Wharton plunged into the endzone for the two-point conversion, and then Orange County’s defense held on to secure a 34-31 victory, strengthening the Fighting Hornets' chances of making the postseason.
Both teams began the night with identical records (6-2, 4-1), each in their respective region's eighth and final playoff position.
When the action got underway, Monticello wasted little time reaching the endzone. The Mustangs offense drove 60 yards on eight plays in 4:03 with Ezekiel Pour finishing the drive with a seven-yard touchdown run.
Orange County’s offense responded with a score of their own after taking advantage of three Mustangs defensive penalties. Twice, it appeared as if Monticello was destined to regain possession of the football but a defensive offsides call and pass interference penalty gave the Fighting Hornets offense new life. After moving into a goal-to-go situation another Mustangs offsides penalty moved the ball to the four-yard line. Two plays later, Wharton scored on a one-yard run.
Tre Early would help Monticello extend their lead in the second quarter with big moments on both sides of the ball. First, the senior athlete scored on a five-yard run after Monticello’s offense began their second series on the Orange County 39-yard line. The Mustangs took nine plays, all on the ground, to cover the short field and extended their lead to 14-6.
After the score, the Fighting Hornets offense was driving when a turnover abruptly ended the drive. Four different ballcarriers helped Orange County move the ball 50 yards on eight straight rushing attempts. The ninth attempt, however, resulted in a fumble, with Early pouncing on the ball and helping Monticello regain the football.
Shortly after, kicker Oziel Jara Castillo nailed a 44-yard field goal through the uprights, his longest of the season to give Monticello a 17-6 lead entering halftime.
David Norman took the opening kickoff for Orange County to the house when play resumed on a 91 yard return to cut the Mustangs lead to 17-12.
Monticello responded with a scoring drive capped off by an Ezekiel Pour rushing touchdown widening the margin. The next offensive possession for each team resulted in an interception. Norman pulled down a pass deep in their territory to stop the Mustangs from widening the gap on the scoreboard even further.
The Orange County offense then drove 80 yards, with Dwayne Wells trimming the lead back to one score. Loveless covered nearly half the drive in one carry, with a 35-yard rush to set Wells's 17-yard score three plays later.
Early struck again moments after the fourth quarter started with a 54-yard scoring run for Monticello and then Juelz Christmas-Jackson pounced on a fumble on the ensuing possession for Orange County. The Mustangs were not able to take advantage of the miscue, however, and punted.
On their third play from scrimmage, when they regained control of the football, Orange County pulled to within 31-26 when Wharton connected with Norman for a 67-yard touchdown pass with 6:47 remaining in regulation.
A short kick by the Fighting Hornets on the kickoff was recovered by an Orange County special teams player setting up an 11-play drive that ended with the Loveless rushing score and Wharton conversion that sealed the victory for Orange County.
Orange County Head Coach Colston Bayless Postgame Interview
Orange County Athlete Seth Symns Postgame Interview
SCORING SUMMARY
Orange County—6 0 12 16—34
Monticello—7 10 7 7—31
FIRST QUARTER
M—Ezekiel Pour 7 run (Ozara Jara Castillo kick), 7:52
OC—Jeremiah Wharton 1 run (conversion failed), 0:39
SECOND QUARTER
M—Tre Early 5 run (Ozara Jara Castillo kick), 7:51
M—Ozara Jara Castillo 44 field goal, 0:00
THIRD QUARTER
OC—David Norman 91 kickoff return (conversion failed), 11:47
M—Ezekiel Pour 3 run (Ozara Jara Castillo kick), 7:04
OC—Dwayne Wells 17 run (conversion failed), 0:05
FOURTH QUARTER
M—Tre Early 54 run (Ozara Jara Castillo kick), 11:17
OC—David Norman 67 pass from Jeremiah Wharton (Dwayne Wells run), 6:51
OC—Christopher Loveless 5 run (Jeremiah Wharton run), 1:07
STANDOUT PLAYERS
David Norman, Orange County…The Fighting Hornets senior stepped up in the second half of the contest making plays in all three phases of the game to spark his teams’ comeback. Norman’s 91-yard kickoff return to begin the second half set the tone of the game that it was far from over. In the third quarter, Norman picked off a pass on defense that kept his team within striking distance and also allowed the offense to score. Then, in the final quarter of action, Norman took a pass reception 67 yards to the endzone in the first of two scores for the Fighting Hornets in the final frame.
Ezekiel Pour, Monticello…The Mustangs senior scored twice in the game for Monticello and continued his leadership in the running back room for Monticello. Recording 109 yards in 23 rushing attempts, the senior went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the second season in a row for Monticello. Pour will look to add to his total with at least one more game remaining in the regular season as he becomes just the third player in the history of Mustangs football to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
TAKEAWAYS
Are the Fighting Hornets Postseason Bound?
Sitting in the final postseason spot in the Region 4D rankings heading in to this week, Orange County needed a win to stay in control of their playoff hopes. They were able to do just that with the come-from-behind victory over Monticello. Mecklenburg County, in 6th position before play on Friday, took a loss to George Washington which keeps the Fighting Hornets in the postseason picture even with E.C. Glass (9th) and Amherst County (10th) recording wins. The Fighting Hornets will need a win in the final week of the regular season to stay in the top eight and if they can accomplish that feat, we should see them back in the postseason after their absence last season.
Have the Mustangs Done Enough to Reach the Playoffs?
Sitting at 6-3 following their loss to Orange County, Monticello has to win their final regular season game next week to advance to the postseason. If they accomplish that feat, they will be 7-3 with losses to Louisa County, Turner Ashby, and the Fighting Hornets on their resume. Two of those teams are in higher classifications than the Mustangs which bodes well for their overall rating. Region 3C is deep, however, with four teams within a point of each other vying for the final playoff position. Staunton (6th) defeated Fort Defiance this week and Broadway (10th) knocked off East Rockingham, both helping their own causes. Wilson Memorial (7th) and Spotswood (9th) were both off this week, meaning heading in to the final week of the regular season, five teams at minimum will be looking to fill the final three playoff spots in the region. With that said, it’s possible that a 7-3 Monticello team could be sitting on the sidelines when the postseason begins. To avoid that, it all starts with getting a win next week.
WHAT’S NEXT
Orange County hosts Charlottesville next week in the final game of the regular season. The Black Knights, a Region 4D team as well, will come into the game with a 0-9 record and looking to avoid their second winless season in a row. The Fighting Hornets have won six games in a row over Charlottesville by a combined score of 234-74.
Monticello goes on the road in need of a victory against rival Fluvanna County. The Flucos are 4-5 on the season after a 29-14 victory against Goochland and will be looking to keep Monticello on the sidelines with them in the postseason as they will be. Monticello won the last two head-to-head matchups against the Flucos but the two teams are 3-3 in the last six contests between each other. Before that, Monticello had won consecutive games in the series and lead 19-6 overall.
Robert Edmonds has been contributing to Virginiapreps.com, part of the Rivals.com network, since 2013. Follow him on X (formerly known as Twitter) @bigrob2523 and subscribe to his YouTube channel for sports-related content. You can read his work in the Daily Progress and occasionally in other journalism publications. He began working in the sports sector in 2006 and covers public and private schools throughout the state with a focus in the Central Virginia area. He currently lives in Keswick with his wife and has seven children and two grandchildren. To contact Robert, please email him at bigrob2523@gmail.com.