BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — With their postseason hopes potentially hanging in the balance, James Monroe scored the final 21 points of the game in a 28-20 win at Bluefield. With the victory, the Mavericks closed the regular season with a 7-3 record, clinching a fourth consecutive playoff berth.
James Monroe turned the ball over four times in the first half, yet they trailed just 13-7 at intermission. Jeff King intercepted a pair of passes for the Beavers while Kisean Smith and Ja Myere Harris also collected turnovers. King also reeled in a 30-yard touchdown pass from Max Simpson in the second quarter.
“We made some mistakes in that first half. Basically we just told them that this is your playoff,” said James Monroe head coach John Mustain.
Bluefield extended their lead to 20-7 early in the third quarter when Ty Patton scored his second one-yard touchdown of the game. However, the Mavericks received a 15-yard rushing touchdown from Brock Parker to pull within 20-14 at the end of the third quarter.
In the final frame, the Mavericks took their first lead when Baylee Ridgeway recovered a fumble in the end zone to make the score 21-20. Layton Dowdy extended the lead to eight points late in the fourth on a one-yard run.
“We saw some running plays. Brock had some really good carries. Layton had some great carries. They are so quick in terms of their pass rush and in terms of coverage of pass plays. We just decided to put it on the ground and it worked.
“We adjusted a little bit in our pass coverage and got a little bit better rush on the quarterback. He was sneaky getting out of there. All in all, it was a heck of a team effort.”
Bluefield (4-5) has also qualified for postseason play.
“What a game. Credit to Freddy [Simon] and his boys. They played a heck of a game too,” Mustain said.
“This one means a lot. It is Bluefield.”