by First Quarter
This post-sunset Senior Night game began with a squib kick from Rocky Bayou that ended up being returned for 18 yards out to the 37 by Senior running back/linebacker Blake Brannen. The entire first drive for the Marauders was filled with carries to running back Anthony White. Overall, White took 5 carries for 53 yards including punching in the 1-yard touchdown to put Maclay up six. Within this game, the Marauders decided on going for two point conversions. This one was a pass from senior quarterback Beau Beshears to fellow senior, wideout Henry Richardson for the additional 2 points.
Rocky Bayou’s ensuing kickoff return ended in a ten-yard loss with the receiver trying to flip the field for a big gain, but getting foiled by Maclay sophomore wide receiver/defensive backs Thomas Ferraro and Mason Nobles to pin the Knights back on their own 5. The very next play, the Knights once again ran backwards, this time into their own end zone for a safety.
Off of the punt from the 20-yard line from the Knights, Maclay wide receiver/defensive back Zae Ritters took the return 21 yards to put his team at the opponent 35-yard line. Anthony White once again took control of the next Marauder drive, taking 2 carries for 23 yards to put his team within the Knights’ 10-yard line. Beshears would then throw his first non-extra point completion for a 7-yard touchdown to senior athlete Tucker Poppell for a 7-yard score. This was accompanied by another 2-point conversion; this one coming on the ground for Anthony White. And the score within four and a half minutes of gameplay was 18-0 in the favor of Maclay.
After a short kick return, the Knights’ offense returned to the field. Quickly, the Maclay defensive front overwhelmed the Rocky Bayou line and backfield and snuffed out the rushing attempts the Knights made early on. The Knights then attempted a pass instead, and that was intercepted and house-called from 26 yards out by another senior dual-athlete: Jace Wright. Beshears threw a screen pass to Anthony White for Maclay’s third consecutive successful two-point conversion of the quarter.
Maclay’s defense immediately forced another difficult situation for the Knights, pushing them back to a 3rd & 18, where they forced an incompletion, but hit the quarterback in the process, giving the Knights a first down. On this play, Knights’ quarterback Matix Vilagomez threw a spiral dart down the right-side of the sideline and it was caught by all-around athlete Isaiah Gayle for a 39-yard gain. On the next set of downs, however, the pressure from Maclay forced a 0-yard QB rush – courtesy of Zae Ritters and fellow senior, linebacker and running back Jediah Stewart – and two consecutive incompletions, forcing a fourth down. The Knights attempted a field goal, but once again the pressure from Maclay disrupted another play for Rocky Bayou and the kick was blocked by a multitude of Marauders and put Maclay back on the offensive side of the ball.
This Maclay drive did start with some adversity with Rocky Bayou athlete Isaiah Gayle got a sack on Beshears for a loss of 6 yards. Two plays later, Beshears threw a downfield completion to Anthony White, who sprinted 80 yards to score. However, the play got called back from a late block in the back penalty, but the first down was still accomplished. Beshears tore down the field with passes to Tucker Poppell for 29 yards and senior wide receiver Henry Richardson for 9 yards. The drive capped off with another connection from Beshears to Richardson for a 28-yard score. The extra point from freshman athlete and kicker Jase Walker was good to make the scoreboard read 33-0.
Following the First
After a touchback, the Knights took the field again. Their first play was a massive 14-yard sack from Maclay defensive end Holt Antohi. And this was the end of the first quarter. Maclay had posted one of the most dominant quarters of football I have been fortunate enough to witness. They followed that up with a PBU from Jediah Stewart. Vilagomez managed to get back 6 yards on third down with his legs, but this wouldn’t be enough given the loss on first down. Rocky Bayou punted the ball back to Maclay. Henry Richardson returned the punt to the Knight 27-yard line. But another big play for the Marauders was once again negated by a block in the back penalty, so they were forced back into their own territory.
Beshears immediately went back to work with a 12-yard completion to Zae Ritters. This was followed by a short pass to Anthony White, who broke multiple tackles to put his team in at the Rocky Bayou 11-yard line after a 22 yard gain. Beshears would throw another pass to Ritters and the shifty receiver used his blocks very well and trotted into the end zone. Following this, the starting kicker/athlete, senior Peter Fernandez put the game at 40-0.
Already starting within their own 20-yard line thanks to a perfectly placed kickoff by Fernandez, the Knights were once again against the wall. And Maclay did not let up. In the third play of the drive, defensive end Holt Antohi garnered a strip sack and the Marauders recovered at the Rocky Bayou 4-yard line. Another senior – Blake Brannen – went untouched on the next play into the end zone.
Rocky Bayou’s next drive was also very quick due to Maclay’s continued dominance in the trenches, putting the quarterback under constant pressure. They did this while still restricting the run game and covering the pass game simultaneously. Two TFLs – two for Mason Nobles and one for both Anthony White and defensive end Caden Harrell – forced yet another punt from the Knights side that was not returned.
Following a pass breakup on first down from Rocky Bayou corner and wideout Audie Morris, Beshears once again saw a well defended pass play and decided to scramble. Beshears weaved his way through the defense for a field-flipping 45-yard rush. On the very next play, Rocky Bayou was not prepared in defense, and Maclay took advantage with a a far-side screen to Tucker Poppell, who tight-roped the sideline for a 21-yard score. Another Jase Walker extra point put the game at a ludicrous 54-0 score with half of the second quarter yet to play.
Rocky Bayou still did not have any luck against Maclay’s starters on defense. Following a defensive penalty that gave them 15 yards, defensive back/wide receiver Ford Brown picked off the Knights deep ball pass attempt to give the Marauders the ball back once again.
It was at this point that Maclay pulled their starters. The backup quarterback, Cole Van Landingham had immediate success with his legs, rushing for an 8 yard gain and a 25 yard gain a few plays afterwards. A few plays later, he would also get a 10 yard gain, but the half ended before Maclay could score once again.
A running clock was put into place in the second half, so it did not last nearly as long. But the Knights got the ball first and Isaiah Gayle had a few great carries with a multitude of jukes and broken tackles. The two he had went for 12 and 13 yards respectively. However, the drive would stall after this and the 4th down attempt ended in a 2-yard loss.
Maclay’s next possession was the first one where they got stopped. After a few 3-yard runs from athlete Max Vegas, Knight linebackers Cameron Ross and Brody Maddox stuffed the third down rush attempt for a 5-yard loss that forced Maclay’s first punt of the game.
Once again, Rocky Bayou began their drive with some successes on the ground. Gayle would begin the drive with an 18-yard rush that should have been a TFL, but his effort was unbelievable and he managed to make a crazy play. Vilagomez then took a few draw plays himself – for 17 and 7 yards. And after the few plays after that sort of stalled, the Knights were forced into another fourth down scenario; but Vilagomez found tight end Gabriel Mosley for a 9-yard gain, earning another set of downs. However, on the next play Maclay sophomore linebacker/running back David Avant forced a fumble and fellow sophomore Cooner Holmes scooped it up to force the fourth turnover of the game.
The third quarterback for Maclay would come into the game – freshman Dario Walker. However, he wouldn’t need to do too much on the drive as on the second play David Avant broke probably at least a dozen tackles attempts for one of the most gritty, athletic runs I’ve seen at the high school level. And it resulted in an 81-yard touchdown that had the Maclay sideline losing their minds. Walker’s third extra point was good and the score was now 61-0.
Rocky Bayou attempted a lateral on the kickoff return, but it would not end up working out too much better than the regular kickoff return would have. Vilagomez continued his successes on the ground with a third-down conversion that went for 14 yards. Two plays later, he found wide receiver Kale Johansen for a 9-yard gain for another first down to push the Knights into Maclay territory. On the next third down, Vilagomez found Johansen again for 18 yards. Rocky Bayou then took one timeout, took an unsuccessful end zone shot, called another, and lined up for a field goal with time expiring. The kick from receiver/corner/kicker Sutton Kiser was good from 35 yards out to cap off the game at the end score of 61-3.
Players of the Game
Maclay School Marauders
QB/P Beau Beshears – 9/12 167 YDS, 4 TD, 2 2PTCONV; 1 RUSH, 45 YDS; 1 PUNT, 31 YDS
RB/LB Anthony White – 8 RUSH, 81 YDS, 1 TD; 2 REC, 50 YDS; 2 2PTCONV; 1 TKL, 1 TFL
RB/LB David Avant – 4 RUSH, 91 YDS, 1 TD; 6 TKL, 1 FF
Rocky Bayou Christian School Knights
RB/FS Isaiah Gayle – 9 RUSH, 27 YDS; 1 REC, 39 YDS; 5 TKL, 1 TFL, 6 TYDS, 1 SACK, 6SACKYDS
QB Matix Vilagomez – 4/13 66 YDS; 13 RUSH, 58 YDS
MLB/G Brody Maddox – 5 TKL, 1 TFL, 2.5 TYDS
