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Late touchdown pass lifts Swain by Smoky Mountain
Ryan McMahan’s 68-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Carroll with 53.7 seconds left in the game Friday allowed Swain to escape Carr Hooper Stadium/Babe Howell Field with a 20-16 non-conference victory over Smoky Mountain.
A Mustang defender deflected the ball, and Carroll juggled it before hauling it in and going untouched down the right sideline. A conversion pass failed.
Corey Greene intercepted Colton Hunt’s desperation pass to seal the win.
Smoky Mountain’s Josh Ammons returns a pass interception in the first quarter of Friday’s game against Swain. The interception led to a field goal for an early Mustang lead, but the Maroon Devils used a late touchdown to win 20-16. – Photo by Mark Haskett
Smoky Mountain’s Joseph Nardello brings down Swain quarterback Ryan McMahan in Friday’s game. Swain scored with less than a minute to play to take a 20-16 victory. – Photo by Mark Haskett
Until the scoring pass, the Mustangs (0-2) had completely dominated the second half. They had run 31 offensive plays to nine by the Maroon Devils.
Prior to Swain taking over at its 17 following a punt. The Devils had netted 2 yards after the first quarter. They had the ball for only about five minutes in the half.
Swain had not completed a pass all night until two plays before the TD.
Despite the domination, SM put just six points on the board in the half.
Carroll carried the ball eight times for 53 yards while Greene had 10 carries for 50 yards.
Hunt was the game’s leading rusher with 60 yards in 13 attempts. He completed six of 12 passes for 95 yards.
Matt Bryson added 40 rushing yards in 13 tries while Logan Buchanan had 34 yards in 14 carries.
Josh Ammons caught two passes for 31 yards and had an interception.
Trailing 14-10 at halftime, SM marched 77 yards in 19 plays following the kickoff while taking almost 11 minutes off the clock. Key plays were a 15-yard run by Bryson and Hunt’s 22-yard scramble to help overcome a penalty. Chad Harper scored from a yard out on fourth down.
Carroll blocked the extra point leaving the Mustangs up 16-14 with 1:03 to play in the third period.
Both teams punted on their next two possessions setting the stage for Swain’s late score.
Ammons intercepted McMahan’s pass on the game’s third play and his 18-yard return set SM up at the Devil 17. The Mustangs couldn’t move and settled for Matt Dougherty’s 31-yard field goal for a 3-0 edge with 8:56 to play in the opening quarter.
Greene’s 66-yard kickoff return put Swain in scoring position at the 20. His 14-yard run two plays later and Trey Woods’ extra point made it 7-3 with 8:05 on the clock.
The Devils drove 69 yards in eight plays following a punt. The highlight was Carroll’s 18-yard run, and the march was aided by a penalty. Greene’s 9-yard TD run and Woods’ point after extended the margin to 14-3 with 1:25 remaining in the first stanza.
After an exchange of punts, SM moved 61 yards in six plays with the help of three Swain penalties. Hunt started the drive with a 12-yard run, and Buchanan capped it by going in from the 5. Dougherty’s PAT narrowed the gap to 14-10 with 3:10 to go in the half.
Buchanan had six unassisted tackles, including two sacks. Harper was also in on six tackles, including five unassisted, and had one sack.
Swain SM
8 First Downs 17
26-80 Rushes-Yds. 54-172
2-5-1 Passing 6-12-1
75 Passing Yds. 95
4-38.0 Punts-Avg. 4-28.5
0-0 Fumbles-Lost 1-0
5-49 Penalties-Yds. 8-82
Swain 14 0 0 6 20
SM 3 7 6 0 16
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