Longhorns shut out Trojans for first win
The Marengo Academy Longhorns posted their first win of the 2018 season with a 46-0 shutout over the visiting Meadowview Christian School Trojans. The Longhorns utilized a time consuming ground game that scored seven times and an energetic defense to notch a shutout for their first victory of the season.
After holding the Trojans on the opening possession of the game, Trey Etheridge capped the Longhorns’ opening drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. The PAT was blocked and the ‘Horns took a 6-0 lead with 6:04 to go in the first quarter.
After a Trojan punt, Tate Jordan made his way to the end zone on a 49-yard run for the Longhorns’ second score of the night. The PAT was good and the ‘Horns were up 13-0 with 2:00 to go in the first quarter.
After the Trojans botched a kickoff return and were penalized for a block in the back, the Longhorn defense had the visitors pinned at their own 5-yard line. The defense held and the Longhorns started at the Trojan 40-yard line after the punt rolled dead there. The third Longhorn drive was capped by Jordan’s second touchdown run of the night. The 3-yard score at the 9:27 mark of the second quarter and a successful PAT put the Longhorn lead at 20-0.
After trading possessions, a 52-yard Hayden Campbell punt pinned the Trojans at the their own 4-yard line. From there, the Longhorn defense held and forced a punt that rolled dead at the Trojan 28-yard line. Conner Edmonds cashed in on a 1-yard run with 1:55 to go in the first half. The PAT was good and the Longhorn lead climbed to 27-0, which would hold until the horn sounded to end the first half.
The Longhorns received the opening kickoff of the second half and marched to the Trojan 34-yard line. Etheridge rumbled down the sideline for his second touchdown of the night from there. The 2-point conversion pass was incomplete and the Longhorn lead stood at 33-0 with 9:47 to go in the third quarter and would remain there until the quarter ended.
After trading possessions, Edmonds would carry the ball to the Trojan 5-yard line where Alex Owens punched it in from there. Parker Phillips would come in for a successful PAT kick and the Longhorn lead was 40-0 with 8:45 to go in the fourth quarter.
On the Trojans next possession, Mason Glass recovered a fumble at the 12-yard line. And, with 2:52 to go in the game, seventh grader McGuire Davis would get his first varsity touchdown on a 6-yard run. The 2-point conversion failed and the Longhorns lead was 46-0.
The Trojans failed to cover the ensuing kickoff and the Longhorns were able to get additional clean jerseys in the game before the final buzzer sounded.
“We played hard. We played against a team that’s been in the same position we’ve been in. We knew that if we played hard, we could win the football game. And that’s all we can ask them to do,” head coach David Akins said after the game. Akins noted some penalties, but said that those were things they were working on and that they would get better. “We got better tonight. We played pretty good football.” He stated that this game should give his players an incentive to get even better as the year progresses.
Marengo Academy (1-4) is slated to host Wilcox Academy next week.
