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Jacob Fussell gets a first down.
McKenzie blasts Trinity
48-21 to reach state Final Four
This wasn't McKenzie's first rodeo, playing
in a quarterfinal round of the state
football playoffs.
That was very evident as the No. 3-ranked
Rebels lassoed ninth-ranked Trinity
Christian 48-21 in round of eight. The
victory ensures another home game next
Friday night as the Rebs are one of four
teams left playing in the Class A ranks.
Friday, the Rebels host Mt. Pleasant, who
defeated Jo Byrns 31-21 in its quarterfinal
matchup, 7 p.m. at Rebel Field. It marks the
third time that McKenzie has reached the
semifinal round, but the first time it has
done so as a Class 1A team.
This time, McKenzie coach Wade Comer hopes
to break through that Final-Four barrier and
land on the turf at Murfreesboro in two
weeks.
"Three times, we've knocked on the door,"
Comer said, following the victory. "Now we
have to finish the deal."
It seems McKenzie just keeps getting better
with age. Thirteen weeks into the season,
the Rebels have proven to be hard to stop.
They rolled up 410 total yards and were able
to dictate the terms once again, using its
physical approach to impose their will.
Senior quarterback Derek Carr was 8-15
passing for 222 yards and a pair of
touchdowns. They were effective on the
ground, despite Trinity's best efforts to
key on the run. Tyler Moore had 18 carries
for 54 yards and a touchdown while sophomore
Jake Johnson had nine carries for 55 yards
and two scores. Carr had a 9-yard TD run
himself to go with 21 rushing yards.
The Rebels had 20 first downs to the Lions'
10, 400 yards to Trinity's 311 and never
trailed against the Region 8A champions. In
sum, the Rebels had perhaps one of their
best offensive efforts when the stakes were
awfully high. Not to be lost in the shuffle
was junior Harris Laughrey's effort. He
accounted for 12 of McKenzie's 48 points,
including field goals of 29 and 32 yards to
go with a perfect 6-for-6 on PATs.
"We played well offensively tonight,
executed well and the special teams did a
good job keeping them pinned down," said
Comer. "Harris' field goals were big."
Trinity plays a finesse wing-T offense and
broke a big play or two, but for the most
part, McKenzie kept the Lions in check.
"Defensively, we played well," Comer said.
"We had a couple of breakdowns, but when we
had to, we stepped up and played well."
Kyle Kirk and John Campbell make a stop on
this TCA player.
The Rebels bolted to a 10-0 lead after
stopping Trinity cold on its first drive.
Laughrey drilled a 29-yard field goal with
5:02 remaining in the first quarter to give
the Rebels the early advantage. The Lions'
next drive sputtered and McKenzie got the
ball back on its own 33. That's when the
Rebels went for the homerun ball as they
have done so proficiently all season. Carr
hooked up with senior receiver Rusty Chapman
for a 67-yard scoring strike with 1:47 to
play in the first frame.
Trinity responded rather quickly. With 9:18
to play in the second, the Lions drove 58
yards in five plays, ending in Calvin Shaw's
32-yard TD run. Josh Lenoir added the first
of three conversion kicks to draw TCA within
three, 10-7. The Rebels came right back with
an impressive 12-play, 80-yard march,
culminating in Carr's 9-yard run with 3:55
to play in the half. MHS led 17-7. Trinity
had one late score to take a bit of momentum
into the locker room. The Lions went 68
yards in 12 plays and scored with :19 to
play when Hunter Johnson rumbled in from the
1. McKenzie led 17-14 at the half. But the
Rebels got the ball to start the second
half, which would prove beneficial.
It only took a minute and change for the
Rebels to get on the board. Carr found
senior receiver Shabree Payne for a 51-yard
aerial. With McKenzie camped at the 6, Moore
covered that distance in two plays. His
3-yard plunge with 10:56 to play in the
third lifted the Rebels to a 24-14 lead.
After stopping TCA on a fourth-down play at
the 7:55 mark, the Rebels took over and
trekked toward paydirt once again. Johnson
capped a seven-play, 69-yard drive with his
18-yard scoring run. The Rebels led 31-14,
which was significant. The Rebels held a
three-score lead with time running out and
the odds for TCA to score three times and
limit McKenzie were long, indeed.
Jake Johnson goes airborne on this run
against TCA.
The Lions stayed in the fight. On their next
drive, they marched 79 yards in eight plays.
Ben Andrews caught a 39-yard Hewitt Tomlin
TD pass. The margin was closer, but the
Lions still trailed 31-21 with 2:47 to play
in the third. It was Trinity's last score of
the season.
McKenzie proved once again that it owns the
fourth quarter. It scored 17 points and
scooped up two turnovers, a fumble recovery
by Austin Winstead to set up Laughrey's
32-yard field goal with 6:31 to play in the
game, and an interception from Evan Rogers
that essentially ran out the clock and the
season on Trinity.
After Laughrey's field goal, the Rebels
stopped Trinity twice on downs, both stops
led to scores. The first stop parked the
Rebels on the Lion 26 with 5:09 to play.
Conventional wisdom might have suggested the
Rebels run the ball, leading by 10 with time
as an ally. Not for Comer. He called a quick
strike pass play. Carr led Payne for a
26-yard TD strike that just took nine
seconds.
"I wanted to put the dagger in," explained
Comer with the decision for the quick
strike.
The Rebels led 41-21 at that point, but they
weren't done yet. The Rebels stopped the
Lions again in the shadow of their own goal
posts. From the 22, Johnson carried four
straight times, the last time spanning 10
yards for the score. Game, set, match. The
Rebels will dust off the welcome mats for
Mt. Pleasant.
MHS Rebels Coach Wade Comer tells the team,
"Its just 48 minutes of play until the
championship game."
Comer said he was aware Trinity had a good
club, but said if the Rebels executed, they
could win. But by 27?
"We just played well," he said. "We executed
exceptionally well."
Carr had a bounce-back night after last
week's 4-7-65 effort against Fayette
Academy.
"Derek played an outstanding game tonight,"
said Comer. "Most of his incompletions were
catchable balls; but the receivers really
stepped up tonight, especially in the second
half."
Chapman had three catches for 95 yards and
Payne four for 98. Both scored touchdowns.
The Rebels were physical on defense. Three
MHS players had nine tackles: John Campbell,
Rogers and Winstead.
"I thought Winstead had an outstanding
game," said Comer.
Calvin Shaw had eight carries for 100 yards
to lead the Lions. Tomlin completed 12 of 30
passes for 151 yards, a TD and an
interception. He also led the Lions with 10
tackles.
Now the Rebels prepare for the 11-2 Tigers
from Mt. Pleasant, a team McKenzie
scrimmaged a year-and-a-half ago and
defeated 3-1.
"But this is a different team than that one
and so are we," said Comer. "The only
constants are Derek Carr and Marco Dailey.
Both of us have a whole new supporting cast.
We'd better be ready to play."
But the Rebels have an opportunity.
"We've been talking about it since last year
and we've been working for it," said Comer.
"We're 48 minutes away from our goal of
getting to the championship."
(Jim Steele is editor and webmaster of the
local sports website mckenzierebels.com) |
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