MCC MOVES TO NEXT ROUND TAKING ON SPRINGFIELD NEXT

The MCC Rebel Football team was on the road on Saturday as MCC was looking for revenge on the weekend before Halloween. The Rebels have been haunted by the loss to Adrian Ellsworth earlier this season. In that game the Rebels lost 13 to 11. All of the points were scored in the first half yet the Rebels had the ball much of the second half and couldn’t score. The Rebels learned a lot in that game and they used it the rest of the season. On Saturday the Rebels would vanquish what was haunting them in a victory over their rivals.

The first half of Saturday’s contest was played much like the first game. The Dragons started with the football and put together a tough and rugged 64 yard drive. The big play was a 20 yard screen pass to Kyler Kunkel that would set up Aiden Tweets 1 yard touchdown run. Then his two point conversion made the score 8-0 with 5:10 remaining in the first quarter. The Rebels an-swered pretty quickly, as it took them just 2 minutes and 22 seconds to score. Runs by Gavin Gillette, Andrew Holm, and Carson Engelkes set up the Rebels’ Teague Meyer for a 35 yard touchdown run. The following two point conversion tied the score with 2:48 to play in the quarter. Each quarterback had his team’s point to start. The game remained deadlocked until late in the first half when the Rebels put together a two minute drive. As the clock was winding down, the Rebels moved down the field, starting with the running game and mixing in the team’s only completion of the game to Hudson Schryvers. With the wind blowing in their faces the Rebels would attempt a 35 yard field goal. Carson Engelkes has only missed one field goal this season and that was against Adrian Ellsworth in the fourth quarter in the first meeting. Engelkes wouldn’t miss this time as he curled the kick around the left upright to make the score 11-8 at the half.

The third quarter would become the showcase of the Rebel defense and Carson Lewis. The sophomore fullback showed his explosion, as he returned the opening kick 81 yards for a touchdown. Once Lewis hit open field, he ran away from the Dragons and with the extra point, put the Rebels up two possessions. The Rebels got the ball back on a Carter Hanson interception and MCC drove into Adrian Ellsworth territory. Lewis scored on a 33 yard run, making the score 25-8 and putting MCC up 3 possessions. The Dragons had to change their game plan and get more aggressive. They started to go for 4th down plays. The Dragons turned the ball over on downs inside their own 10 yard line. Carson Lewis scored on a nine yard run for his third TD of the quarter. The Rebels led 32 to 8. The Dragons again gave the ball up and the Rebels scored on the first play of the fourth quarter on a Teague Meyer nine yard run. The Rebels were in complete control, leading 38 to 8. The Rebels didn’t try to score again, as they took knees with over four minutes to play. The Rebels got their revenge and advanced to the Section 3A Final.

The Rebels were led by the strong running attack that churned out 314 yards while throwing for 4. Carson Lewis ran 22 times for 162 yards and three touchdowns while Teague Meyer ran 14 times for 70 yards and two touchdowns. The Rebels defense held Adrian Ellsworth to 191 yards and just 102 of the yards coming on the ground. MCC’s special teams accounted for a kick return for a touchdown and a field goal that helped lift the Rebels to a win. MCC will play Springfield in the Section Final on Friday at 10:00 am in Marshall. The Rebels will have a chance to avenge their only other loss of the season to get to a state tournament.