Culpeper can’t hang on

By Ron Counts Staff Writer
Published: October 17, 2008

Charles Nicholson’s body language said it all with just under 3:00 left in Culpeper’s 27-7 loss to previously winless Loudon Valley on Friday night.

The senior tight end slowly made his back to the Blue Devils’ huddle with his head down and shoulders slumped after dropping a pass that would have netted a first down.

It was that kind of second half for the Blue Devils.

“This was a big game for us because they were in the same boat as us,” CCHS cornerback Nolan Jenkins said. “It’s is a tough loss, especially after we played the first 24 minutes the way we should have been playing all season.”

The second quarter was kind to the Blue Devils (0-7) for one of the few times this season. In fact, they had momentum on their side heading into halftime thanks in large part to Jenkins.

The 5-foot-10-inch senior put the Blue Devils in position to get on the scoreboard with a 68-yard interception return with just over a minute left in the half.

He tipped a pass from Loudon Valley quarterback Iain Mottice into the air, nabbed it and sprinted to the Vikings’ 12-yard line. Two plays later, CCHS quarterback Steven Dodson scored the Blue Devils only touchdown on a one-yard dive.

“Nolan had the best game he’s played all season,” CCHS coach Greg Martz said. “We should have been able to capitalize on his plays, but we couldn’t.”

The Vikings lined up for a 37-yard field goal that would have given them the lead going into halftime, but Jenkins would have none of it.

He sliced through the offensive line and swatted the kick to the ground, preserving the Blue Devils’ most competitive first half of the season. Jenkins also made Culpeper’s biggest play of the second half — blocking an extra point attempt.

“I told the guys at halftime to just keep it up,” Martz said. “We played a great 24 minutes, but we had another 24 to play and we had to keep our heads.”

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The Vikings opened the third quarter with a 14-play drive that covered 66 yards, took 7:32 off the clock and culminated in an eight-yard touchdown scamper by senior Chris Music.

The 6-foot-1-inch running back finished the game with 179 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries.

“We decided to put everything on his back and let him lead us,” Loudon Valley coach Danny McGrath said of Music. “We’ve put a lot on these senior guys that only have a couple games left and they’ve responded well.”

The Vikings controlled the clock and dominated the line of scrimmage during the second half. They controlled the ball for nearly 10:00 in the third quarter, and finished the half with 170 yards of total offense. The Blue Devils were only able to muster 14 yards of offense during the final two quarters.

“Our offense couldn’t get on the field,” Martz said. “Their offensive line pushed us back, fatigue set in and we just didn’t make the plays.”
The win improves the Vikings’ record to 1-6, and with Liberty, Battlefield and Stonewall Jackson remaining on Culpeper’s schedule, Martz knows his team’s quest to secure a victory isn’t going to get any easier.

“Anytime you go through something like this, it becomes hard on everybody: Players, coaches, parents and fans,” he said. “But we’re not going to quit fighting for it. We have a season to finish off and we’re going to finish it.”

Ron Counts can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 166 or