Jason Kidd
757preps.com

    Ever since Bobby Surry took over as principal at

Menchville eight years ago they haven’t won two games in a

row. Under the leadership of new head coach Melvin Moore

the Monarchs have done something that has never occurred

during Surry’s tenure.

    The Monarchs countered every Denbigh threat to win a

16-12 contest at Todd Stadium and captured their second

consecutive victory.

    Throw statistics out the window. Denbigh (0-3, 0-2 in the Peninsula District) outgained the Monarchs 385-106 in total yards.

However, Menchville (2-1, 1-1 in the Peninsula District) was able to capitalize off of the opportunities they were granted.

    “I’ve been preaching team since Day 1,” Moore said after the game. “Last year they depended on a superstar athlete, and

they relied solely on him. They were spectators instead of ballplayers. This year we have come together as a team, and put in

the work.”

   That was evident in Monday night’s victory. After Denbigh struck first with a 13 play, 80-yard scoring drive on their opening

possession the young men outfitted in purple and gold didn’t flinch. Their offense stalled, but the defense was there to pick them

up.

    Denbigh forced Menchville to punt on their first possession. On the Patriots first play of their second drive Denzell Wise was

picked off by Menchville’s Nick Hairston. Hairston returned the interception 31 yards for a touchdown to lead 7-6.

    The Patriots came right back. They relied heavily on their potent passing game on their initial drive with Wise connecting on

7-of-11 passes for 60 yards. Denbigh got running back Shaquille Keyes more involved after Wise’s interception. The senior

racked up 33 of his game-high 178 yards and Wise hit Paul Gostomski for a 6-yard touchdown pass.

    When it appeared Menchville was down and out running back Darius Twine wouldn’t let his team fall. Twine rumbled for 47

yards before being walked down at the Patriot 2-yard line. He took the next carry into the end zone to put Menchville up for

good with 7:03 left in the second quarter.

    “Like I told the kids, nobody really beat us,” Denbigh coach Marcellus Harris said. “We beat ourselves. We just didn’t

capitalize. We gave up a touchdown off a bad possession. We misread a play. Then, we gave up a first down on a personal foul.

It’s tough to win like that.”

    Denbigh had their chances, but couldn’t convert in short-yardage situations. Menchville’s red-zone defense stopped the

Patriots twice inside the 10-yard line.

    They had the ball with under two minutes left in the first half, and started a drive from their 31-yard line. Wise completed four

passes combined with four Keyes bursts and Denbigh had first and goal from the Menchville 5-yard line. They just couldn’t

punch it in the end zone.

    Keyes was stopped for a 2-yard loss on first and goal followed by two incompletions. Denbigh opted to go for it on fourth

and goal from the 7-yard line due to a lack of a kicking game, and Wise was dropped for a 3-yard loss.

    After throwing the ball 29 times in the first half, Wise attempted only nine passes in the second half. The focal point of the

Patriots offense was thwarted by a change in defensive philosophy. The Monarchs made Denbigh beat them on the ground.

    “They were dropping everybody back in coverage,” Harris said. “They had three defensive linemen upfront anticipating the

pass. So we had to go with the run.”

    Menchville began the second half on their 37-yard line. It appeared Denbigh was going to stop them with a three-and-out,

but the Patriots were called for an unsportsmanlike penalty on a late hit on third and 12 to keep the drive alive.

    The Monarchs got an enormous boost from kicker Dillon Christopher. After the offense stalled,  the junior place-kicker

nailed a 50-yard field goal that barely crossed the uprights. Christopher, who has a big-time left leg and is being looked at by

major Division I programs, later missed a 53-yarder. The missed field goal was more impressive than the one he made. It was

wide-right, but Christopher had enough leg on it to connect from 60 yards.

    In the second half, Menchville forced their rival to beat them on the ground. The Monarchs played with three defensive

linemen and dropped their linebackers and secondary back. Keyes benefitted from the defensive scheme, but the Patriots

couldn’t find the end zone.

    Denbigh had a first and goal from Menchville’s 3-yard line, but took a step back with a false start. Then Keyes rushed twice

for four yards, but Wise’s two straight incompletions left the Patriots short. Wise finished the game 21-of-38 for 185 yards with

a TD and an INT.

    “When I came in here I wanted to create an identity for Menchville football,” Moore said. “We have instilled into the players

that we have to play four full quarters of football. We have to be physical and impose our will upfront.”  

    The road doesn’t get easier for Denbigh as they take on Bethel Saturday at Darling Stadium, while the Monarchs look to win

their third straight when they play Gloucester.

    “The fans deserve this,” Moore said. “The school deserves this. As much as they have stood behind this program in the past

this is what they deserve – to see this program win. As a coach, I want to deliver wins to them.”