Knights freelance to win over Flucos

PALMYRA — Buckingham County’s best offensive play against Fluvanna County didn’t come out of coach Craig Gill’s playbook.

Rather, it originated in the backyards of Gill’s quarterback and wide receiver.

With Buckingham facing third-and-17 and leading by just four points in the third quarter, wide receiver Antonn Briley was supposed to run a post route to the first-down marker. Instead, Briley headed deep to the corner, and quarterback Tarian Ayers hit him for a 48-yard touchdown in double coverage. From there, Buckingham never looked back, going on to a 28-10 victory for its fourth straight win to start the season.

“He cut his route off, and I just saw a hand in the air,” Ayers said. “It’s something we’ve worked on, because me and him live right next to each other.”

While the Knights’ second touchdown may have been their most impressive play, Buckingham’s most important play of the first half may have come on an apparent error by one of Fluvanna’s special teams units. With Buckingham trailing 3-0 midway through the second quarter, Knights kicker Tim Jones’s 45-yard field goal try landed just short of the uprights. The Flucos were flagged for roughing the kicker, though, giving Buckingham a first down and new life.

With the ball spotted at the 16-yard line after the penalty, Buckingham went on to score on a 9-yard pitch to running back Maurice Taylor.

A Fluvanna error also led to Buckingham’s second TD on the Flucos’ next offensive play, as a dropped pitch on first down was recovered by Knight linebacker Kevin Jamerson at the Fluvanna 35 yard-line. With the advantageous field position, Buckingham stuck with the ground game on its 35-yard TD drive — including a 12-yard run by Taylor on third-and-1 — capped by a 4-yard completion from Ayers to Wade.

Fluvanna would cut the deficit to four, though, as the field goal defense unit made amends for its roughing penalty. On a 27-yard field goal try by Jones midway through the third quarter, Fluvanna’s T.J. Dudley smacked the kick with one hand, and teammate Kyle Pillow scooped the ball up and took it for a touchdown.

Buckingham, though, refused to let Fluvanna quarterback Ryan Foster or any other Flucos player beat them defensively. Foster completed just three of 10 passes for 40 yards, and the Flucos rushed for just 70 yards total.

Offensively, as has been the norm for Buckingham in its undefeated start to 2009, the key to victory was winning the ground battle. Taylor scampered for 109 yards and two scores on 19 carries, dual-threat Ayers picked up 45 yards, and running back Ja’Rodd Wade powered his way to 39 yards.

Buckingham will look to improve to 5-0 against Chatham on the road, while Fluvanna has another home matchup against Western Albemarle.