Longhorns manhandle Jackson Academy 64-14

Jumping to a 30-0 first quarter lead and never looking back, Marengo Academy manhandled Jackson 64-14 at Linden Athletic Field Friday, setting up a showdown next Thursday at perennial power Patrician Academy.

“We came out and played well, and got to play a lot of people,” said MA head coach Robbie James. “It was good that we were able to do some of those things, because we’ve got a quality opponent next week. That game will be a lot more physical, and we will have to have our best game to beat them.”

MA moved to 3-0 on the young season by dominating in all phases. Special teams set up the first Longhorn touchdown, as Landon Houlditch recovered a fumble at the Jackson 26 on the opening kickoff. After runningback Hayden Huckabee converted a 4th-and-3 from the 19 with a sprint to the JA 7, quarterback Tyler Barkley put Marengo on the board two plays later. Brant Lewis kicked the extra point.

After a Jackson punt, Barkley connected on a 28-yard pass to Cason Cook to the 21, and Huckabee scored moments later on a 14-yard run to increase the lead to 14-0 after Lewis’ PAT.

MA took even less time on its next possession, scoring on the first play on a 63-yard Sebastian Hale scamper, and special teams struck again before quarter’s end when Huckabee returned a Jackson punt 47 yards for the score.

With less than a minute left in the first, MA took a 30-0 lead when a high snap sailed over the Jackson punter’s head for a safety.

In the second quarter, MA continued its onslaught with a six-yard Lewis run, a 23-yard Huckabee score and a two-yard Weldon Aydelott run up the middle that was set up when Houlditch recovered his second fumble of the evening at the Jackson 2.

Marengo carried a 51-0 lead into the halftime locker rooms. Defensively, the Horns had allowed minus-2 yards of total offense in the first half.

The two teams traded scores in each of the final two quarters, with Marengo’s touchdowns coming on a 72-yard pass from Robert Tutt to Andrew Martin in the third and a 33-yard Cameron Peppenhorst run for the game’s final points.

Marengo outgained Jackson 413-111 on the night, with all of Jackson’s positive yardage coming in the second half. Huckabee led all rushers with 86 yards on eight carries, followed by Hale with 64 yards on two rushes.

Barkley was 4-for-4 for 69 yards, while Tutt’s lone passing attempt resulted in the 72-yard scoring strike to Martin.

Defensively, Ralph Langley, Hayden Hall and Thomas Etheridge each had six tackles, while Cook and Aydelott added five each.