Box Score The Maryville College Fighting Scots football team rallied in the second half to earn their first win of the season with a 24-17 victory over the University of the South (Sewanee) in front of a large Honker Field home crowd on Saturday afternoon.
Trailing 17-10 with just over six minutes remaining in the third quarter, MC's defense took charge and the Scots' offensive pace wore down their guest from Sewanee.
Maryville got on the scoreboard first when their defense, led by key stops by Andrew Jenkins and Jamie Owen, stopped the Tigers on a 4th down and one on the Scots' six yard line. The 11-play, 75 yard stalled drive gave MC 94 yards to march for their first score.
A 32 yard run by Chad Brooks and 22 yard rush by Brian Conn put MC in scoring position. Paul Costanzo completed the 10-play scoring drive with a one yard plunge into the end zone. Dylan Miller's kick made the score 7-0.
MC's Gabe Johnson forced a Sewanee fumble to begin the second quarter and Jamie Owen picked up the ball securing a short field for the Scots. Maryville could not capitalize with the ball on the nine yard line, so Dylan Miller's 23 yard field goal gave the Scots a 10-0 lead.
A 41 yard kick-off return by Alex Kops and a Maryville face mask penalty gave Sewanee the ball on the Scots' 29 yard line. Nine short plays later, Jase Brooks gave the Tigers their first score with a one yard jaunt into the end zone. Schlosser's kick made the score 10-7.
The Tigers answered again when an MC drive stalled. From their own 14 yard line, Sewanee marched 67 yards to put Schlosser in field goal range. He promptly deposited a field goal from 36 yards away to tie the game 10-10 to close out the half.
Sewanee's J.D. Crabtree intercepted Eric Sisson and returned it to the MC 35 yard line. Sewanee took advantage of the miscue to take the lead. Curtis Johnson connected with Jase Brooks for a 22 yard scoring strike via the air to put Sewanee ahead. Schlosser's kick gave the Tigers a 17-10 advavtage with 6:33 remaining in the third quarter.
MC's defense tightened up to force a 45 yard field goal try that sailed wide right to end the third quarter.
A drive that featured 26 rushing yards from MC's Chad Brooks and 27 yards by Travis Felder put Maryville on the doorstep. Felder finished the 12 play, 80 yard drive with a four yard power dive for a score. Dylan Miller's kick tied the game at17-17 with 11:19 remaining in the game.
Sewanee's next drive saw the Scots' defense shine. A key pass break up by Jacob Berwind and a tackle for a loss by Jamie Owen and Zach Capehart drove the Tigers backwards.
The Scots would capitalize on their next drive. By pushing the pace and wearing down the Sewanee defense, MC completed a nine play, 47 yard scoring drive in only 2:28. Brooks and Felder attacked the Tiger's defense for 4-8 yards per attack. Quarterback Evan Pittenger finished the game-winning drive by finding receiver Ed Johnson in the back of the end zone after a scramble outside the pocket. Miller's kick gave the Scots a touchdown advantage.
Sewanee would not go quietly. A fumble by MC's Brooks gave the Tigers one last try to drive 80 yards to tie the game. Curtis Johnson marched the Tigers down the field with rushes totaling 19 yards and a pair of passing plays adding 22 yards. From MC's 23 the Scots' Zack Brown and Ruben Rodgers turned away consecutive passes into the end zone to preserve MC's head coach Mike Rader's first collegiate coaching victory.
Sewanee (1-2) ran for 269 total yards behind six strong runners. Curtis Johnson gained 59 yards on 17 carries. Jase Brooks added 56 yards on 11 attempts. The Tigers posted 97 yards in the air. Johnson finished 6-for-8 with a touchdown strike.
Defensively, J.D. Crabtree was all over the field for Sewanee. He finished with a dozen tackles, a tackle for a loss, and a pair of interceptions. Murphy Walters added 10 tackles while J.P. Boudreauz finished with eight stops and a sack.
Maryville (1-2) exploded for 288 total rushing yards. Chad Brooks dashed for 133 yards on 19 carries, averaging seven yards every time he touched the ball. Travis Felder added 66 yards on 14 attempts. Eric Sisson and Evan Pittenger combined for a 8-for-17 effort via the air for 84 yards. Nick Scott hauled in three passes for 23 yards.
Defensively, Zach Brown finished with 15 tackles, eight solo stops, and a key pass break up. Dylan Wolfenbarger and Josh Krebs each had 14 total stops. Krebs had four tackles for a loss, a pass break up, and a sack. Gabe Johnson and Andrew Jenkins each had 11 tackles while Jamie Owen added 10 stops.
The Scots will take a week off to prepare for their USA South season opener on September 29th. MC will host Christopher Newport University in a 1:30 kick-off on Honaker Field. MC will be sponsoring an NCAA "Take a Kid to the Game Day". All youth participants in attendance with their favorite football jersey on will gain free attendance for the day.
