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FINISHED: ‘Horns bring title back to Linden

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11-18-16 -- Troy, Ala. -- Marengo Academy's Cameron Peppenhorst (45) cuts behind the block of Collin Sheffield (66) on a run during the Longhorns' state championship victory over the Chambers Academy Rebels.
11-18-16 — Troy, Ala. — Marengo Academy’s Cameron Peppenhorst (45) cuts behind the block of Collin Sheffield (66) on a run during the Longhorns’ state championship victory over the Chambers Academy Rebels.

TROY – “Our word this week was ‘finish.’ This group started as freshmen and they’ve been here (the state championship game in Troy) every year,” head coach Webb Tutt said of his seniors before the game. “We need to find a way to finish and somebody needs to step up and make a play.”

“Finish” has been a recurring theme all year for the Marengo Academy Longhorns. After falling behind by 13 early to the Chambers Academy Rebels, the ‘Horns recovered and did just that – finish. Weldon Aydelott followed up a 202-yard performance last week against Abbeville with a 215 yard performance against Chambers. And the final defensive stand was finished by a Landon Houlditch sack of Chambers’ quarterback Malik Lyons.

11-18-16 -- Troy, Ala. -- Marengo Academy's Weldon Aydelott races for a 49-yard touchdown run during the Longhorns' state championship victory over the Chambers Academy Rebels.
11-18-16 — Troy, Ala. — Marengo Academy’s Weldon Aydelott races for a 49-yard touchdown run during the Longhorns’ state championship victory over the Chambers Academy Rebels.

The Rebels took little time to open a lead on the Longhorns when Lyons ran 52 yards around his right end with 10:29 to go in the first quarter. The PAT failed and the Rebels took a 6-0 lead.

On the Rebels next possession, Lyons went around his left end for a 51-yard touchdown run. The PAT was successful and the Rebels stretched out to a 13-0 lead with 7:03 to go in the first.

The Longhorns would finally respond at the 4:21 mark of the first when Jacob Beck dove in from 1-yard out. Megginson’s PAT was good and the Longhorns cut the Rebel lead to 13-7, which is where the score would remain at the end of the first quarter.

A 12-yard run by Jordan Gillespie at the 6:39 mark of the second quarter and a successful PAT would stretch the Rebel lead to 20-7.

Undaunted, the Longhorns drove down the field and Beck found Houlditch on a 10-yard pass for a touchdown at the 4:12 mark of the second quarter. Megginson’s PAT made the score 20-14 in favor of the Rebels. The score would remain unchanged as the first half ended.

The Longhorns would strike first in the second half. Aydelott would score the first of his three second half touchdowns at the 9:32 mark of the third quarter on a 49 yard run. Megginson’s PAT gave the ‘Horns a 21-20 lead.

11-18-16 -- Troy, Ala. -- Marengo Academy's Gavin Tate hauls in a 36-yard pass completion during the Longhorns' state championship victory over the Chambers Academy Rebels.
11-18-16 — Troy, Ala. — Marengo Academy’s Gavin Tate hauls in a 36-yard pass completion during the Longhorns’ state championship victory over the Chambers Academy Rebels.

Not to be outdone, Lyons scored on a 67-yard run only 17 seconds later. The PAT was successful and the Rebels took a 27-21 lead at the 9:15 mark of the third quarter. Neither team would score for the remainder of the quarter.

After a change of possession, Daniel McCray gave the Longhorns the ball on a short field after a big stop on a fourth-and-9 conversion attempt by the Rebels. Aydelott would later pound it in from one yard out at the 9:13 mark of the fourth quarter. Megginson would add another PAT and the Longhorns would take a 28-17 lead.

Chambers final touchdown of the day came on a 4-yard Lyons run with 3:52 to go. The 2-point conversion failed but the Rebels were back on top of the Longhorns, 33-28.

Finish. Trailing by five, the Longhorns would use a fourth down conversion and a key 36-yard pass to Gavin Tate to move into scoring position. Aydelott would score his third and final touchdown of the game on a 7-yard run at the 1:17 mark of the fourth quarter. Leading 34-33, the Longhorns would unsuccessfully attempt a 2-point conversion.

Finish. On fourth down of the Rebels last possession, Houlditch used his last defensive play as a Longhorn to sack Chambers’ Lyons and turn the ball over to the Longhorns and effectively end the game with eight seconds to go.

11-18-16 -- Troy, Ala. -- Marengo Academy's D.J. Nettles (61) and Landon Houlditch (80) watch as Weldon Aydelott (35) scores the game winning touchdown during the Longhorns' state championship victory over the Chambers Academy Rebels.
11-18-16 — Troy, Ala. — Marengo Academy’s D.J. Nettles (61) and Landon Houlditch (80) watch as Weldon Aydelott (35) scores the game winning touchdown during the Longhorns’ state championship victory over the Chambers Academy Rebels.

One snap to run out the clock and the Longhorns finished as the AISA Class 1A state champions for 2016 be defeating the Chambers Academy Rebels by a final score of 34-33.

“It felt like we fought up-hill all day until the last drive. We got a little momentum going,” Tutt added after the game. “The resiliency, the heart – they have no quit in them. It doesn’t matter the circumstances. They keep coming and keep playing. They kept battling and never gave up.”

Offensively, Aydelott led the Longhorns with 215 yards on 28 carries with three touchdowns. Tate added 38 yards on five carries and Cameron Peppenhorst added 32 yards on 8 carries. Beck was 3 for 8 for 61 yards and a touchdown. The Longhorns totalled 278 yards rushing on 52 attempts and added 94 yards on 4 for 9 passing.

Defensively, McCray led the Longhorns with eight tackles and two assists. Aydelott added eight tackles, Robert Tutt contributed seven tackles and Collin Sheffield tallied six tackles and three assists.

The Longhorns end the 2016 season with a record of 11-1 and a state championship trophy.

11-18-16 -- Troy, Ala. -- Marengo Academy's Landon Houlditch (80) sacks Chambers Academy's Malik Lyons on the Longhorns' final defensive play of their state championship victory over the Chambers Academy Rebels.
11-18-16 — Troy, Ala. — Marengo Academy’s Landon Houlditch (80) sacks Chambers Academy’s Malik Lyons on the Longhorns’ final defensive play of their state championship victory over the Chambers Academy Rebels.