Monroe tops Mitchell County in Preseason scrimamge

ALBANY — There were no standings at stake Friday night at Hugh Mills Stadium, and the rules weren’t quite the same as they will be once the regular season begins.

But when Monroe needed to make a couple of plays to finish the night, the Golden Tornadoes made them.

Monroe defeated Mitchell County 14-6 in a preseason scrimmage that featured little offense and plenty of defense as both teams continued preparations for the start of the regular season.

The offensive numbers, however, came with an important qualifier.

Quarterbacks were protected from contact during the scrimmage, limiting a major part of both teams’ offenses. When quarterbacks scrambled, plays were stopped or called back because defenders were not allowed to hit them.

That took away some of the improvisation and running ability that can turn broken plays into big gains during a regular-season game.

Still, there was plenty for both coaching staffs to evaluate.

Monroe carried an 8-6 advantage into halftime, with quarterback Jordyn Shorter connecting with Dy’Karie Carr on an end-around pass for the Golden Tornadoes’ touchdown.

From there, neither offense could generate much momentum.

The 8-6 score remained unchanged deep into the second half before Monroe’s Justin Grice finally provided a spark. Grice broke loose for a long run and carried the Golden Tornadoes inside the Mitchell County 15-yard line, putting Monroe in position to potentially put the game away.

Instead, the Tornadoes gave the ball right back.

Monroe fumbled on the next play, and Mitchell County recovered, giving the Eagles one final opportunity with the game still separated by two points.

That’s when Monroe’s defense delivered.

The Golden Tornadoes kept Mitchell County backed up near its own goal line and prevented the Eagles from mounting a late drive. Then, with seven seconds remaining, Mitchell County fumbled. Monroe recovered and scored, providing the final points in the 14-6 victory.

For Monroe, the night was less about the final score than getting an opportunity to line up against someone wearing a different uniform and finding things that need work before opening night.

There were encouraging moments, including the first-half touchdown connection between Shorter and Carr, Grice’s explosive late run and a defense that took advantage when Mitchell County made a mistake with the game on the line.

There were mistakes, too, including Monroe’s late fumble when the Tornadoes had an opportunity to turn Grice’s run into points.

That’s what preseason scrimmages are for.

Monroe now has three weeks to take what it learned Friday night and prepare for a considerably different challenge. The Golden Tornadoes open the regular season Aug. 28 in Moultrie against Class 7A powerhouse Colquitt County.

Mitchell County won’t have quite as long to wait. The Eagles open Aug. 21 on the road against Seminole County.

Friday night’s rules kept the quarterbacks out of harm’s way and undoubtedly contributed to the lack of offense.

In three weeks, those protections disappear.

And for Monroe, the opponent waiting on the other side will provide a much different test.