Opening minutes enough for Elkins
ELKINS 56, MONTICELLO 6
ELKINS — Elkins continued its dominant play and improved to 12-0 with a 56-6 victory over Monticello on Friday night in the Class 4A state playoffs.
The Billies made the fourhour trek to Elkins, and the game was basically over in the first four minutes. Elks Coach Zach Watson said he was pleased with the fast start and a 21-0 lead early in the first quarter.
“We talk about winning the first four minutes of each and every football game. And I thought they did an unbelievable job,” Watson said. “We go down and score, and then the defense gets us the ball right back and sets up another score. And it just got the ball rolling in the right direction for us tonight.”
The Elks came into the game averaging 55 points per games. On Friday night, they almost hit that mark in the first half as they took a 49-0 halftime lead.
Da’Shawn Chairs ran roughshod over the Monticello defense in the first half and accounted for 175 total yards with 165 on the ground and 4 total touchdowns. With 8:16 left in the first quarter, he took his third carry 55 yards for a touchdown and gave Elkins a 14-0 lead.
Senior quarterback Dizzy Dean’s first pass was a 14-yard strike to senor wide receiver James Townsend for the game’s first score. Dean’s first eight completions were to Townsend, who finished with 10 catches for 62 yards and a score. Dean completed 17 of 23 passes for 130 yards and 3 touchdowns in his first half of work.
“Anytime we put that many points up in the first half, that’s what we’re trying to do,” Watson said of a running clock in the second half. “I think our kids have really bought into our philosophy about staying on schedule and moving the chains, not worrying about the big play. We’re going to let the big play happen for us. We’ve got a bunch of big-time players and they make the big plays, and so they’ve just got to be patient.”
The Elks’ defense allowed 63 yards of offense (43 passing, 20 rushing) in the first half and 127 yards total.
Watson praised his group of seniors and was happy to see all their hard work pay off in such a big way.
“We’ve got a good senior leadership group. And so I think they’re doing a good job week in and week out of not letting our guys overlook anybody,” Watson said. “And I think that’s why we do come out and put people away early because we’re not looking by anybody. We talk about it all the time: wWe’re going to play a nameless, faceless opponent, and we’re going to play the best football we can.”
Monticello did tack on a score late in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Jackson Hines ran it in from a yard out for the Billies’ lone score of the game with 1:20 left.