CHS has a senior moment

Charlottesville secured its first win of the season this past Friday at the expense of cross-town rival Albemarle. The win was much-needed — in fact, the Black Knights hadn’t won since beating William Monroe last September.
For the seniors, the 28-13 win over the Group AAA Patriots was especially sweet.
“We needed it. It feels really good to get our first W on our home field in our new jerseys,” said senior running back Raymond Parker. “They got us last year, but us seniors going out, that’s all we’re going to remember.”
Parker and fellow seniors Xavier Porter and Adrian Thurston all stepped up to help CHS get the win.
The 5-foot-8, 155-pound Parker paced the Black Knights’ ground game with 60 yards on 11 carries. Porter was a force on the defensive end, with numerous stops as well as an interception. Thurston was a receiving threat, hauling in a pair of first-half touchdowns as Charlottesville opened up a 21-0 halftime lead. Another senior, kicker Ian Tewksbury, converted all four PATs.
Defense does it
Fraser couldn’t have been more pleased with his team’s defense, which came up with two interceptions, several sacks, blocked a PAT, and recovered a fumble in the closing minutes as the Black Knights held on for the win.
The interceptions came in the second quarter and set up a pair of touchdowns as CHS built a sizable halftime lead.
“They are the ones that won the game for us,” Fraser said of the defense. “They knew Albemarle had some good skill guys and our defense played hard and made some plays. That kept us going. And they had two big stops to really seal it for us.”
Young QB shows promise
Freshman quarterback Benj Wilhelm was also impressive in his home debut. He showed poise and looked comfortable under center for most of the game. In fact, Wilhelm was 6-for-6 passing to start the game, connecting with Adrian Thurston for two touchdowns.
He finished 7 for 10 for 88 yards and did not throw an interception.
“Not bad for a ninth-grader,” joked Fraser after the game. “He made some good throws.”
Hill provides spark
Albemarle struggled offensively much of the game against Charlottesville, but did find an offensive play that worked.
Senior Jordan Hill ran a reverse several times in the second half, and gained good yardage each play. The first time he ran for 11 yards, which set up Mayn Francisco for the team’s first touchdown. On the Patriots’ following possession, Hill bolted down the sidelines 24 yards and may have reached the end zone if Maurice Jackson hadn’t pushed him out of bounds. Hill finished with 51 yards on three carries.
“Everybody knows the type of speed Jordan Hill has and they have to respect that speed. We’re trying to find creative ways to get him the ball,” Albemarle coach Wendell Green said. “Sometimes our quarterbacks are consistent in getting it to him. Other times they’re having trouble getting him the ball. As a coaching staff, we have to be better at our play selection to find out ways to get the ball in his hands.”
Fork Union stays steady
Fork Union continued its impressive September on Friday, beating Hargrave Military Academy 40-0. The Blue Devils have yet to give up any points this season, posting three straight shutouts. FUMA has outscored its opponents 109-0 through its first three games.
Jamal Hunter leads the Blue Devils in tackling, with 25 total (12 solo) this season. Fork Union plays at Episcopal High School this Saturday before its showdown with Woodberry Forest on Oct. 3.
Extra points…Following Charlottesville’s win over Albemarle, seniors Chris Grant and Maurice Jackson celebrated by grabbing the team’s water cooler and dousing second-year coach Chris Fraser. … Monticello, which fell to a very good Powhatan team on Friday, is 1-2 for the first time since 2001. … The Mustangs gave up 56 points, the most ever by Monticello team. In addition, the 50-point margin of defeat was the highest ever in a Monticello home game. … Woodberry’s Ed Reynolds toted the ball 11 times for 208 yards and a TD in the team’s win over Bishop Ireton. … Madison County (3-0) racked up 409 yards of total offense in a 35-0 win over Nelson County. Its defense held the Governors to 68 total yards.