MUS Sports News

Saints Hang Close, Finally Overtake Owls

In a back-and-forth battle between two neighborhood rivals, the Briarcrest Saints used a late field goal to upset MUS, 24-21, in the renewal of an old series at the Briarcrest athletic complex.

Though the Owls (2-3, 0-1) led for most of the game, the Saints (3-1) never trailed by more than 7 points and stayed close until they could take advantage of MUS' first turnover late in the game.

However, the Owls started off strong and moved the ball effectively early.

After taking the opening kickoff, MUS used 12 plays and drove 48 yards to get to the BCS 13. However, the drive stalled and forced a field-goal attempt, but Ben Tacker's 30-yard try was blocked, and the Saints took over.

The Owls got another try after a Ryves Moore interception in MUS territory. Using another 12 plays, MUS again got deep into BCS territory, but the drive stalled once again. Thus, Tacker tried another field goal, but Saint Melvin Cole put pressure on him, and Tacker missed his second attempt to keep the game scoreless.

The Owls finally got on the board early in the second quarter. After another Moore interception, QB John Conrad McCrary led a short drive that culminated in a 20-yard touchdown pass to WR Chase Carlisle. The Tacker PAT gave MUS the 7-0 lead.

But Briarcrest was not stunned. They came back to tie the score as RB Robert Towns caught a wide-receiver screen on 4th and 6 and rumbled 36 yards for the touchdown. The Justin Sparks PAT evened the score.

MUS was quick to answer.

Following a short kickoff, the Owls used 6 plays to score as McCrary snuck in from 1 yard out. The big play of the drive was a 22-yard run by McCrary to get deep into Saint territory. The touchdown and extra point gave the Owls a 14-7 lead headed into the half.

Though the game was close at the break, MUS had to feel good about their situation as they had outgained Briarcrest in total yardage, 180-96, and had forced two Saint turnovers without turning the ball over themselves.

However, Briarcrest stayed close.

In the opening possession of the second half, the Saints proved that they would not go away on this night.

Using 9 plays and 3:44, the Saints methodically drove 58 yards to tie the score. Towns, Briarcrest's talented tailback, began to assert himself on the drive after compiling only 7 yards in the first half, and he finished the drive with a score from 3 yards out.

The game remained tied until the Owls regained the lead at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Using 8 plays and 3:24, Derek Clenin, who once again reached the century mark in rushing as he gained 107 yards for the game, culminated the drive with a 7-yard run. Tacker gave MUS a 21-14 lead headed into the final quarter.

But the Saints would not be denied.

On the ensuing possession, they kept the Owls off-balance, and Towns hurt MUS on the ground. Utilizing what resembled an old single-wing pitch play, Towns picked up 63 second-half yards and began to wear on the Owl defenders. Finally, FB Melvin Cole completed the 10-play, 65-yard drive that swallowed over 5 minutes with a 1-yard run as Briarcrest once again tied the score after the PAT with 7 minutes remaining in the game.

Briarcrest had definitely gained momentum after their score as they cranked up the defensive pressure and forced an MUS punt after the Owls could only gain 15 yards.

However, after taking over at their own 29, the Saints could not take advantage of possession as the Owl defenders stepped up and stopped Briarcrest to force a punt with fewer than two minutes left at the BCS 31.

Yet Briarcrest got the break they needed on that punt.

Returner Sean Gould, who had 2 catches for 16 yards in the game, fielded the Josh Fletcher kick at the MUS 40, but the Saints forced a fumble on the return, and Briarcrest recovered to take over at the Owl 45.

Six plays later, Sparks connected on a 28-yard field goal to give the Saints only their 4th win in the 24 games of the series.

Though the Owls did not play poorly, they also never made any big plays and rarely forced Briarcrest into tough situations. 84 second-half yards also did not help the MUS effort.

At 2-3, next Friday night's game at home against Bartlett becomes very pivotal as MUS tries to position themselves for a playoff run. The Owls, who won 28-7 over the Panthers last season, will try to even their record in the 7:30 PM tilt.

Brentwood Academy Continues Mastery Over Owls

In the fourth game of the season, the MUS Owls could not overcome 21 Brentwood Academy points in the third quarter as the Eagles capitalized on three Owl turnovers to defeat MUS going away, 42-10, in the first conference game of the year for both teams.

The coaching staff felt the key to this important tilt was to get off to a good start, get an early lead, and build some confidence against a team that has had a mental edge over the Owls in the past.

Just five minutes in, the staff was sorely disappointed.

After recovering a Derek Clenin fumble on the second play of the game, BA (3-1, 1-0) needed only three plays to jump out on top as Eagle QB Jefferson Adcock hit Chad Fuson for a 28-yard touchdown pass. John Vaughn's PAT was good, giving BA the early lead.

MUS (2-2, 0-1) could not get any offense generated until the second quarter.

After the defense held, the Owls took over on their own 26 and began their best drive of the game.

Clenin found a few holes for some yardage, while QB John Conrad McCrary completed 2 passes on the drive, including a 16-yard hook-up with WR Sean Gould. However, the drive stalled at the BA 25, and Ben Tacker came on and connected with a 42-yard field goal to cut the BA lead to 7-3.

This margin was as close as the Owls would get on this night.

The Eagles began their best drive of the evening on their next possession.

Backs Theo Townsend, who finished with 57 yards rushing on the night, and Tyler Griffin combined to pound the Owl defenders and work down the field methodically. BA converted several third- downs and one fourth-down, and on the 13th play of the drive, Griffin threw a halfback pass to Barry Turner for 2 yards and a score. The Vaughn PAT extended the lead to 14-3, the eventual halftime score.

Though the Owls were down by 11, they had to take some solace into the locker room as they had out-gained BA in total yardage, 151-128, and had run three more plays than the Eagles. However, the much-bigger Eagles still had the lead in the most important stat.

The 3rd quarter began the demise and bad luck for MUS. Chad Fuson, who caught 4 passes for 108 yards for the game, single-handedly put the game out of reach.

He hauled in a 50-yard score on the Eagle's first drive of the second half to make it a 21-3 game, and then, after the MUS offense stalled, he returned the Owl punt 63 yards to extend the lead and all but end MUS' upset bid.

The misfortune did not end there, however. Some five minutes later, Brentwood LB Darren Mustin intercepted a John Phillips' pass and returned it 26 yards for another touchdown.

And then, on a play that symbolized the night, RB David Holbert scored on a 42-yard run to make the score 42-3 after the Vaughn extra-point. What was unusual about this play was that Owl safety Ryves Moore hit Holbert at the 20 and caused him to fumble. However, the ball bounced right back to him, and he raced the remaining 18 yards for the touchdown.

Yet MUS did not give up.

With McCrary back at quarterback, he led a 62-yard drive late in the 4th quarter that included his own 38-yard run. Sophomore Warren Grimm, who finished with 34 yards on 9 carries, culminated the drive with a 3-yard run for the touchdown. The Tacker PAT made the final score 42-10.

Though the Owls were blown away on the scoreboard, they outgained the Eagles, 294-284, ran 15 more plays, and had 2 more first downs. The MUS defense held the potent BA offense well under their average, and the offense had 183 yards rushing, including Clenin's 84 yards on 17 carries, against an extremely large, physical Eagle front. Yet BA made all of the big plays and won easily.

The Owls get an opportunity to rebound as they play Briarcrest this Friday night at Briarcrest. Kickoff is set for 7:30PM.

Big Second Half Sparks Owls' Win

RB Derek Clenin has sure set a torrid pace for himself.

After rushing for four touchdowns two weeks ago in a victory over Jackson Prep, one would think that the Owls' next opponent, Harding Academy, would concentrate on the senior back and attempt to limit his effectiveness.

After Friday night's game, the Lions failed in their objective.

Clenin matched his success against Harding as he rushed for four more scores, giving him nine touchdowns for the season, as MUS overcame a scrappy Lion crew to beat Harding, 38-14, in the Owls' home opener.

The home team did not get off to a good start, however.

After stopping MUS on their opening possession, Harding (1-1) took over at their own 20 yard-line. One play is all it took to give the Lions the lead, as sophomore RB Todd Cox rumbled 80 yards for the score. Jared Sparks drilled the PAT, and the Lions had the early advantage.

MUS (2-1) could not pull even until early in the second quarter. Clenin scored his first touchdown, a 13-yard run, to cap off a 7-play, 62-yard drive. Ben Tacker's extra point tied the score at 7.

Harding hung tough until late in the half.

Following a Lion punt, the Owls took over near midfield and took only two plays to take the lead. From the MHA 35, QB John Conrad McCrary, who finished 8 for 14 for 134 yards, hit John David Lawhorn over the middle. Lawhorn made a great grab as he first wrestled the ball away from the Lion defender and then fought his way into the endzone. The Tacker PAT gave MUS the 14-7 lead heading into the break.

Though the Owls had a lead, they still had to feel a little uneasy as Harding had compiled 182 rushing yards and 209 total. The Lions had only 130 yards of total offense in last year's game, so this MHA team was competing much better.

Yet MUS put the game away coming out in the 3rd quarter.

The Owls put up 24 3rd-quarter points, including three more scores by Clenin, as they converted every 3rd-quarter drive into points. Clenin's runs of 1, 2, and 36 yards gave MUS a commanding lead.

Ben Tacker ended the Owls' scoring with only 7 seconds left in the 3rd period as he hammered home a 22-yard field goal following an interception, the third of the game for the Lions, giving MUS a 38-7 lead.

All MHA could muster the rest of the game was a Jared Sparks 58-yard interception return of a Rob Park pass for a touchdown. His PAT made the final score 38-14.

The defense really clamped down after the break as they limited the Lions to only 36 yards in the second half. Five turnovers for MHA also led to their demise.

Clenin led MUS in rushing and compiled 129 total yards in only three quarters of action. John David Lawhorn also had a big game with 4 catches for 96 yards, including the 35-yard score.

However, MUS cannot afford a slow start in their next game, a road tilt against their longtime rival Brentwood Academy. The Eagles are currently 2-1 but are ranked first in the state and nationally ranked by USA Today. Kickoff at BA is set for 7:30 PM as both teams open up Super 7 play.

MUS Finishes Strong to Pull Out First Win

The game started out wonderfully.  Derek Clenin taking the option pitch on the first play and rumbling virtually untouched 78 yards for a score.  It was almost too easy.

However, after that long initial run, the Owls found themselves in a tough battle. Yet a happy group of Owls boarded the buses to head back to Memphis as MUS eventually outlasted the Patriots of Jackson Prep, 35-14, in Jackson, Mississippi, last Friday night.

After taking that early lead, MUS (1-1) slowly lost momentum as Prep (0-1) asserted themselves. On their next three possessions after Clenin's opening run, the Patriots got deep into Owl territory each time.

Prep QB Luke Addison capped the first drive as he plunged in from 1-yard out, culminating a 7-play, 46-yard drive late in the first quarter. Daniel Ulmer's PAT tied the score at 7.

After missing a field goal on their next possession, the Patriots held again and took over at their own 20.

With Addison running the show, Prep began a punishing drive with a good balance of runs and passes. The big play of the drive was a roughing-the-kicker penalty against MUS that kept the Prep drive alive. After several long passes, JP got to the MUS 12, and Addison capped off the possession with a 12-yard run for the score. The Ulmer extra-point gave Prep their first lead at 14-7 to finish off the 11-play, 80-yard drive.

At this point, the Owls were reeling and needed to turn the flow. The MUS defense provided that swing.

Beginning late in the second quarter, the Owl defenders grew very stingy, and, with the MUS offense stuggling, they kept the deficit at seven headed into the half.

Coming out for the second half, the Patriots were fortunate the MUS defense allowed them even to get out of their locker room.

With Addison sidelined for a series after taking an array of hits on their first possession on the half, Prep's reserve punter mishandled a punt snap, and MUS took over at the Prep 36.

The Owls needed only seven plays to score as Clenin capped the drive with a 13-yard run. The Ben Tacker PAT was good as the Owls tied the game at 14.

With Addison still sidelined, the Owls took advantage once again. Forcing a quick punt from deep in Patriot territory, MUS turned the field position around on Jackson Prep and began to take control.

The Prep defense did what they could to hold QB John Conrad McCrary and the offense in check, but eventually, MUS found some holes.

The Owls finally took the lead midway through the fourth quarter on a 10-play, 64-yard drive. Clenin did a majority of the work as he punished the Patriot defenders. His 1-yard plunge and the subsequent extra-point gave the Owls a 21-14 lead.

MUS tacked on another score after a beautiful one-handed interception by corner J.D. Lawhorn.

Taking over at the Prep 47, the Owls extended their lead eight plays later as Clenin, who finished with 121 yards on 13 carries, scored his fourth touchdown of the game, a 5-yard run. The Tacker PAT gave MUS a 28-14 lead.

The Owls got one final score just 16 seconds later after a Prep fumble on the ensuing kickoff.

On the first play of the drive, McCrary, who finished 19 of 31 for 199 yards, found Mikell Hazlehurst down the sideline for 30 yards and a touchdown. Tacker's fifth PAT gave MUS the final 35-14 margin.

The victory was crucial to the Owls' season as a loss would have dropped them to 0-2. However, the win gives MUS momentum as they near conference play. The defense saved the team in this game as they allowed only 43 total yards in the second half.

The home opener is this Friday night as the Harding Lions come to Hull-Dobbs. Kickoff for this longstanding rivalry, which the Owls lead 19-1, is set for 7:30PM.