MBA at MUS Dramatic Finish
by. Palmer Thombs (D1 Intern)
Brenden Harris runs free on a 33 yard reception, setting up the tying score
MBA at MUS Dramatic Finish. It was another dramatic win for the Montgomery Bell Academy Big Red on Friday night as they topped the Memphis University School Owls 28-21 in overtime. MBA had plenty to battle through as the cards they were dealt were poor. It began with sophomore, Ned Freeland, starting in place of senior right tackle, Wesley Hall, who missed the game due to injury. Then, on the opening kickoff, the Big Red were unable to come up with the Owls’ sky kick, giving MUS the ball in MBA territory. After forcing a stop on fourth down, the MBA offense took over but fumbled on their second play of the drive, and the Owls overtook the ball on the MBA one yard line. Two plays later, MUS quarterback, Bobby Wade, was able to punch it in for a touchdown.
Trailing 7-0, MBA faced with even more trouble as Freeland went down with an injury, causing shifting around on an already banged up offensive line. The offense continued to sputter as they struggled to overcome the talented MUS defense led by reigning Mr. Football award winner, Dorian Hopkins. The Big Red were finally able to tie things up with 10:09 remaining in the second quarter as quarterback, Ty Allen, ran one in from fifteen yards out. On the ensuing kickoff, MBA’s Cooper Maddox was able to recover a sky kick of their own, leading to a Big Red score three plays later on a thirty yard touchdown catch by Jackson McFadden.
Just when it looked like the Big Red were rolling, things went wrong once again. On defense, four star linebacker, Jackson Hannah, had to leave the game to have a deep cut stitched up, and the unit allowed two scores late in the half, both on connections between Wade and LSU commit, Maurice Hampton. On offense, senior running back, Michael McGuire, went down and had to leave the game with an injury to his arm. The Owls took a 21-14 lead into the halftime break.
The third quarter brought a defensive battle as both offenses were shut out. The game turned into a battle of field position as the Big Red were pinned inside their own five yard line several times by MUS sophomore punter, Ben Skahan. In the fourth quarter, the defensive battle continued, but the Big Red were able to drive ninety-eight yards for a game tying touchdown on a twenty-two yard run by Allen with 3:20 remaining in the game, set up by a thirty-three yard reception from junior running back, Brenden Harris. MUS responded by driving deep into MBA territory, but a missed field goal with 1:10 remaining kept the MBA chances alive. Offsetting interceptions on deep pass attempts ended regulation, and the game went into overtime.
MUS won the coin toss and elected to play defense to start overtime. MBA, going into the endzone nearest to the MUS student section, began overtime with a false start on the first play. Backed up five yards, the Big Red threw an incomplete pass on first down and gained only three yards on second down. On 3rd and 12, Ty Allen connected with senior wide receiver, Clint Blackwell, at the pylon giving the Big Red the 28-21 lead.
Then the MBA defense stepped up as junior safety, Nick German, moved outside to cornerback. On first down, Wade went right at German, but the pass was short of his
Senior Saftey, Gordon Pollock, intercepts a pass on the last play of regulation to force overtime
star receiver, Hampton. On second down, the Owls tried some trickery as Hampton took the jet sweep and turned back to his left to throw to the quarterback, Wade, but German was able to recover and deflect the pass. On third down, Wade’s pass, once again targeted to Hampton on the slant, was incomplete setting up 4th and 10 with the game on the line. A delay of game backed the Owls up five more yards, and Wade went to his favorite target, Hampton, for a jump ball. The pass sailed high, and the Big Red sideline stormed the field in relief. It was MBA’s first victory over the Owls since 2003 and sent the Big Red home to Nashville a happy bunch.
