|
Murphy hands Mustangs first loss of football season
Brian Hass scored three touchdowns – two through the air and one on the ground – Friday leading Murphy to a 35-17 victory over Smoky Mountain at Carr Hooper Stadium/Babe Howell Field.
Hass carried nine times for 119 yards and caught two passes for 63 yards as the Bulldogs handed SM (3-1) its first loss of the season. Ian Reese netted 58 yards in four carries, and Patrick Canizio totaled 50 yards in six tries.
Luke Charles completed six of 12 passes for 137 yards.
Smoky Mountain’s Nick Zoda heads down the sideline on a 19-yard touchdown run during the third quarter of Friday’s 35-17 loss to Murphy. – Photo by Mark Haskett
Dillon Dunford paced the Mustangs with 78 yards in 13 carries. D.J. Brooks had 38 yards in seven attempts, and Nick Zoda totaled 32 yards in six rushes.
With SM behind most of the night, the team passed more than it has all season. Colton Hunt responded by completing eight of 10 aerials for 95 yards.
Daniel Buchanan paced the defense with nine tackles. Tyler Blankenship had three tackles for losses.
Turnovers led directly to a pair of Bulldogs scores, including the first touchdown of the night.
Gene Taylor recovered a fumbled punt by Jared Deitz at the Mustang 39. After a penalty, Charles unloaded a 49-yard scoring strike to Hass. Rhett Kephart added the extra point for a 7-0 lead with seven minutes to go in the first quarter.
The Mustangs responded by driving 64 yards in seven plays. Dunford started the march with a 27-yard run, and Hunt later gained 14 on an option play for a first-and-goal at the 7. Dunford scored on the next play, and Grant Schallock’s PAT tied it 7-7 with 3:54 remaining in the opening period.
Murphy countered by going 80 yards in just five plays to take the lead for good. Eli Sutton gained 11 on the first play, and Reese ripped off a 59-yard run. Hass scored from 12 yards out, and Kephart’s extra point put his team up 14-7 with 1:01 to play in the first quarter.
SM reached the Bulldogs 30 on its next possession before being stopped on a fake punt and turning the ball over on downs.
Following an exchange of punts, the Mustangs came up with their lone turnover when Sutton fumbled at his 40.
SM gave the ball back a few plays later when Zack Watson fumbled with Ethan Palmer recovering at the 22.
After the Mustangs forced a punt, Hunt had a 19-yard scramble setting the stage for Schallock’s 36-yard field goal cutting the gap to 14-10 on the final play of the half.
The game’s key turnover came on the second play after intermission when Watson fumbled with Reese recovering the ball and returning it 15 yards to the 9. Following a penalty, Charles found Hass on a 14-yard TD pass. A bad snap on the extra point forced the Bulldogs to attempt a pass, which was incomplete, leaving the score 20-10 with 11:02 left in the third period.
The Mustangs put together a solid drive by moving from their 41 to the Murphy 9 before being stopped on downs.
A short punt set SM up at the Bulldog 36 leading to a score four plays later. Zoda ran the ball in from 19 yards out one play after Brooks picked up 14. Schallock’s PAT narrowed the deficit to 20-17 with 2:41 to go in the third quarter.
Murphy regained control by marching 80 yards in seven plays. Highlights included runs of 18 and 22 yards by Canizio and a 33-yard pass from Charles to Reese. Canizio went in from the 2, and Kep-hart kicked the point after for a 27-17 advantage with 1.7 seconds to play in the third period.
A 20-yard pass from Hunt to Franks, along with a penalty, helped put the Mustangs in position for Schallock’s 39-yard field goal attempt, but the kick was wide.
Hass ripped off a 70-yard run setting up the Bulldogs’ final TD, a 5-yard run by Sutton, with 8:10 on the clock. Charles passed to Andrew Nichols for the conversion accounting for the 35-17 final.
Murphy SM
14 First Downs 18
32-241 Rushes-Yds. 49-199
6-12-0 Passing 8-11-0
137 Passing Yds. 95
5-26.2 Punts-Avg. 2-35.0
1-1 Fumbles-Lost 4-3
6-55 Penalties-Yds. 6-47
Murphy 14 0 13 8 35
SM 7 3 7 0 17
|
