Last-second field goal sends Monroe past Cairo

CAIRO — The Monroe Tornadoes entered Friday night’s game with a chance to force a potential three-way tie for first place in the subregion with a win over Cairo.

Mission almost accomplished.

Rashard Robinson kicked an 18-yard field goal as time ran out to beat the Syrupmakers 16-14 in a thriller at West Thomas Stadium.

Monroe’s win creates a potential logjam atop the Region 1-AAAA ‘A’ subregion standings. Thomas County Central is 3-1, while Cairo and Monroe each follow with 2-1 records. If Cairo can close out the season with a victory over Albany next Friday and Monroe beats Crisp County on Thursday, it would create a three-way atop the subregion standings with Monroe making the Region 1-AAAA title game on Nov. 7 based on the region tie-breaker rules.

The last-minute victory overshadowed sloppy as penalties were an issue for their Tornadoes all night. Short-yard situations turned into 2 or 3 and long. Long runs were negated by holding penalties and in the fourth quarter, it helped the Syrupmakers move from the Monroe 38 to the 22, setting up what would’ve been the game winning touchdown.

“We had about five or six personal fouls that really hurt us,” Monroe head coach Charles Truitt said. “And I don’t know how many penalties we had all night, but it was somewhere in the teens, so we got fortunate to win this game. It’s hard to win against a team like that with all the penalties we had.”

Cairo’s Austin Shattles found D.J. Donaldson in the right corner of the end zone for the score. After a successful 2-point conversion, the Syrupmakers took their first lead of the game, 14-13, with 9:03 left in the fourth.

The Tornadoe defense would still come up with one big stop with 1:33 left in the game and the offense would do the rest. Dexter Morman found Carter Christian who took the ball into the red zone. A costly pass interference by Cairo would later put the Tornadoes on the three-yard line. After a few pass plays, Rashard Robinson kicked the field goal as time expired and went home winners.

The Tornadoes (5-3, 2-1 Region 1-AAAA ‘A’) aren’t known for kicking, even after touchdowns, and Truitt admitted he wasn’t 100 percent confident kicking to win the game.

“I wasn’t at all confident, but we had a kid that, he had been kicking good in practice this week and we had told the coaches that we get on the 20-yard line, we’re gonna try the field goal,” he said.

Both offenses got off to a slow start during their first drive.

Cairo would go three and out in their opening drive, while Monroe quarterback Dexter Morman would get sacked twice and fumble once during the Tornadoes first possession.

The Tornado defense had early blunders and were called for two personal fouls on Cairo’s second drive, which put the Syrupmakers in the red zone. They’d have to settle for a field goal attempt, which they were unable to convert, giving the Tornadoes the ball at their own 15.

Monroe’s offense picked up steam during the second possession. Mark Robinson picked up chunks of yardage during the drive which helped open up the pass game. The Tornadoes marched 75 yards downfield and scored on a quarterback keeper from two yards out and took a 7-0 lead at the end of the first.

Cairo answered in the second quarter when Jamal Thomas made the catch and took it 80 yards for the score. The Syrupmakers would miss the ensuing 2-point conversion meaning Monroe held on to a narrow 7-6 lead.

Monroe’s offense would falter on the next possession, forcing them to punt. But on the very next play, Adrian Rawls’ interception put the Tornadoes in the red zone with under a minute to go.

Monroe took advantage of the field position and ended its drive with a 5-yard touchdown catch by Ulysses Williams. The extra point was blocked, but the Tornadoes still went into the halftime break with a 13-6 lead.

The Tornadoes finished the game with 258 total yards of offense compared to Cairo’s 241. Morman won the quarterback battle in terms of stats finishing with 234 passing yards and one touchdown. Christian was his leading target on the night with 113 receiving yards, followed by Ulysses Williams with 93.

After being in a similar situation last year, Truitt said the next week now becomes the most important game of the season.

“We was in this position last year and didn’t finish and missed the playoffs,” he said. “So we gonna celebrate tonight, but our kids gotta realize that the big game is going to be next Thursday. They gotta come ready to play Thursday.”

The Tornadoes will face Crisp County this Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Hugh Mills Stadium.