Hurricanes Fall in First Round
The Monticello Hurricanes, making their first appearance in the GHSA state football playoffs since 2018, visited Mount Pisgah Christian in Johns Creek last Friday in the first round of state playoffs leaving without the win.
Mount Pisgah is the region runner-up from Region 6A – Division 1, and came into the game with a 7-3 record. The game was played after two days of consistent, steady rains after the passing of the remnants of Hurricane Nichole swept in from Florida and into South Georgia. This made for an interesting playing surface of wet turf, which led to some slips on the part of the Hurricanes, who were playing on an unfamiliar surface.
The game began with the Patriots receiving the opening kick from the foot of Carson Clark. They began their trip downfield, picking up yardage in chunks, and scoring quickly on a seven-yard touchdown pass. The extra point was good and the Patriots led 7-0 with just under two minutes lapsed in the first quarter.
The Hurricanes received the ensuing kickoff, and a 12-yard return by Cam Farley set them up with good starting field position at their own 38. On the first play from scrimmage, on a handoff between Chevy Sands and Jalen Stewart, the ball was bobbled, and recovered by Mount Pisgah at the 34-yard line. A stop by Ty’Mir Thorton for a loss, followed by a big 13-yard, fourth down sack turned the ball over on downs.
The Hurricanes couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity, going three-and-out with a Garrett Lynch punt putting the Patriots deep in their own territory. Starting at their own 21, after a short gain on first down, the Patriots connected on consecutive passes to move the ball to midfield and then their quarterback ran all the way to the Monticello 1-yard line for a 48-yard gain. The Patriots would score and take the lead, 14-0.
Another three-and-out by the Hurricanes led to a short Lynch punt, in which the Patriots were able to move down the field on the arm of their quarterback. The Patriots notched another touchdown two plays into the second quarter.
The first moment of excitement for the Hurricanes came on the next play, when Kaidon Whidby fielded the kick from Carter at the ten-yard line, eluded two tacklers, and busted through the middle for a 90-yard kick return touchdown. The try for two was stopped short, but the Hurricanes were now on the board at 21-6.
The Patriots took possession at their own 38 after a Clark kickoff, and started moving down the field in small chunks, moving all the way to the Monticello 36, where a scrambling quarterback found his running back for the score.
The Hurricanes held on for a sustained drive on their next possession, with the big play in the drive a 16-yard run for a first down by Whidby. A run for a loss, followed by an incompletion, a false start penalty, and a quarterback throwback pass resulting in a loss on the play moved the ball backwards, where the Hurricanes punted back to the Patriots.
Another short punt resulted in a short field for the Patriots to work in, and they quickly moved down the field on two passes for first downs, with the quarterback finishing the drive off himself with a 15-yard run for the score. The score now stood at 35-6 Patriots with 3:36 left in the half.
The Hurricanes were again held to a three-and-out, and punted again, placing the Patriots in good field position again before the half. This drive was finished off by the Patriots extending the lead to 42-6.
The second half was played under a running clock because of the GHSA mercy rule. The first drive for the Hurricanes resulted in a turnover on downs after a long kick return of 47-yards by Stewart had placed the ball at the Mount Pisgah 30 for their first possession. The Hurricanes held though, and after the Patriots picked up a first down on the ensuing possession, a chop block penalty and a sack by the aforementioned Stewart put the Patriots in a punting situation.
The Patriots boomed the ball 48-yards downfield to put the Hurricanes deep in a hole, a hole which they would be unable to dig out of after an interception of a Sands pass by the Patriots. Taking over on the Hurricane 15, the Patriots drove down to the six-yard line, where on fourth and one they called for a 23-yard field goal, which their female struck through the uprights for the final points of the evening for the Patriots.
The Hurricanes were penalized on the kick return, placing the ball at their own 18-yard line. This is where the Whidby show turned on again. On the first play from scrimmage, Whidby took the Sands handoff to the left side, turned up-field, and outran the pursuing Patriot defense for 82-yards and the score. Ultimately, the two-point conversion attempt was no good, and the scoring for the evening was complete, with Mount Pisgah on top 45-12.