(Report provided by Scrimmage Play)
Mountain View took advantage of well-timed big plays to post 27 unanswered points going into halftime en route to a 37-13 victory over Albemarle in a Commonwealth District showdown Friday night.
The Patriots weren’t able to keep all of the Wildcats’ playmakers under wraps. While highly-recruited wide receiver prospect DaeSean Hamilton (offers from UVA and Virginia Tech) attracted double coverage, he still tallied three plays of 17 or more yards and a redzone touchdown run on a reverse. His teammates took advantage of the extra attention the Patriots paid to Hamilton as Mountain View totaled 464 yards of offense, including 285 on the ground.
In contrast, Albemarle’s offense posted just 58 yards rushing as the Wildcats successfully contained Niko Troche and forced the Patriots’ quarterbacks into difficult passing situations.
Playing in wet conditions for the first time this season, both offenses put the ball on the ground with frequency. Sophomore quarterback D.G. Archer, starting his second straight game, hit Matt Crist for a 31-yard touchdown to open the scoring. But it was all Mountain View after that; the Wildcats scored the game's next 27 points to take a 27-7 halftime lead.
Troche added a 3-yard touchdown run to pull the Patriots within two touchdowns; however, they would get no closer.
Hamilton finished with two catches for 73 yards, as well as 48 yards and a touchdown on five rushes. Meanwhile, Troche carried a game-high 20 times for just 51 yards and one touchdown. Patriots receiver Matt Crist had a solid night with four catches for 82 yards and a touchdown.