MUS Sports News

MBA's Second Quarter Crushes Owls

With six minutes left in the second quarter of their game against 11th-ranked Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, the MUS football team had to feel good about itself.

They had moved the ball somewhat against the salty Big Red defense and had stayed in the game, being down only 7-0 at the time. The Owls hoped to stay close and make a play in the fourth quarter to steal a victory away.

However, MBA showed why they are arguably the best team in the state as they took advantage of Owl mistakes and notched 30 points in the final 5:34 of the second quarter to blow open the game and eventually cruise to a 40-7 Super-Seven win.

The game looked as if it would turn ugly early for the Owls (4-5, 2-1).

MBA (9-0, 4-0) kicked off and immediately held MUS to force a quick punt. Having taken over at the MUS 40, QB Michael Fisher led a 4-play, 40-yard drive that led to an impressive touchdown as RB Michael Koban went in from two yards out. Bryant Hahnfeldt tacked on the extra point to give the home team the early 7-0 lead.

Despite the deficit, the Owls were not deterred as they tried to find some offensive consistency. Led by QB Rob Park, MUS depended on their aerial attack as leading rusher Kane Alber was sidelined because of an injury. On the next possession, the Owls found some success through the air as Park, who finished 17-26 for 184 yards, hit four straight passes to get into MBA territory. But a penalty and a dropped pass halted the push and forced a punt.

On their next possession, the Owls looked poised to tie the game, but an interception on the Big Red 10 stopped that drive as the frustration began to mount.

MBA looked to cash in on the turnover, but sure-handed Koban fumbled in the MUS endzone, and MUS had dodged the threat.

After the touchback, the Owls began their best drive of the game as they looked to prove to MBA that they would compete all night.

Having taken over at the MUS 20, Park hit WR John David Lawhorn for three receptions and WR Mikell Hazlehurst for two others as the Owls threatened. Then, on 4th and 1 from the MBA 3, Park tried a quarterback sneak but was stopped as the threat was squelched.

From this point, one could feel the momentum change as the Big Red began to exert themselves.

First, after having taken over at their own 4, they began a powerful, run-oriented drive that ended with an 11-yard pass from Fisher to Tom Santi for a score. MBA used nine plays and 4:12 to double their lead with 5:34 left in the half.

Then bad turned to worse for the Owls.

After having stopped MUS after the kickoff, MBA took over and needed only one play as Fisher hit Brad French for 60 yards and the touchdown. Hahnfeldt's PAT made it 21-0.

The Big Red scored again 16 seconds later as Jed Crumbo picked off Park's next pass and returned it 31 yards for another touchdown as the rout was on.

The Owls hurt themselves again on their next possession as they struggled just getting a clean snap.

Following a fumbled snap on second down, the third-down shotgun snap sailed into the endzone, and MBA recorded a safety to go up 30-0.

But the Big Red was not done.

They took the free kick and went 48 yards in 6 plays to score one final second-quarter touchdown as Koban, who finished with 56 yards rushing on only 7 carries, scored his second touchdown with a 5-yard run to give MBA the 37-0 halftime lead.

A stunned MUS team headed to the locker room at the half seeing any chances they had at an upset evaporate in the final 5:34 of the quarter. Thirty points in 5:34 allowed the Big Red to cruise in the second half.

MBA played ball control and made few mistakes to finish off the Owls after the break. They tacked on a 43-yard field goal from Hahnfeldt in the third quarter and did not allow MUS to score until late in the game. The Owls broke up the shutout as Park hit Lawhorn, who finished with 8 catches for 122 yards, on a 20-yard scoring strike to culminate a 3-play, 37-yards drive late in the fourth quarter. Ben Tacker finished off the scoring with the PAT as the Owls suffered their fifth loss of the year.

MBA made the Owls one-dimensional and did not allow any big plays. MUS had -33 yards rushing and converted only 1 of 9 third-down conversions as MBA tallied 390 total yards and scored 40 points in the easy victory.

MUS wraps up its regular season with the annual tilt against CBHS, ranked #1 in The Commercial Appeal Dandy-Dozen poll. The game will go a long way in determining playoff seeding as the Owls are hoping for a home playoff game on November 7. Kickoff for the Halloween contest is set for 7:30 at Hull-Dobbs.

Punt Returns Help BA Cruise

A pair of Chris Buck scoring punt returns and a hard-hitting defense was more than enough last Friday night as Brentwood Academy defeated MUS, 42-14, in a non-league game pitting league opponents.

Defense dominated from the outset as both teams traded early punts. MUS also suffered their first turnover of the game with a fumble early in the game as both offenses struggled to establish some consistency.

However, BA (6-1, 2-1) dented the scoreboard first after a defensive stand. Following Rob Park's first punt of the game, Buck took the kick and blew by the coverage for a 63-yard touchdown run. Hunter Palmer's PAT gave the Eagles the 7-0 lead. That return seemed to spark Brentwood Academy as they extended that lead quickly.

Following another Owl turnover near midfield, this time an interception, the Eagles needed only one play to double their advantage as RB Theo Townsend, who finished with 126 yards on only 10 carries, took the handoff and went 51 yards for the score. Palmer's extra-point gave BA the 14-0 lead.

The Owls (4-4, 2-0) tried to get back in the game following an Eagle turnover at the BA 33. Yet three plays later, MUS found themselves near midfield following a sack, an incompletion, and a penalty, and they were forced to punt.

Once again, Buck made the Owls pay with the punt.

Park's kick fell short and took several bounces near the BA 20. Waiting for the ball to stop rolling, the MUS coverage failed to account for Buck, who raced through the Owls, picked up the ball, and traveled 80 yards for the touchdown. Palmer virtually put the game out of reach on this night with his PAT.

BA tacked on one final score before the half on a 2-play, 48-yard drive. RB David Holbert, who outweighed many of the Owl defenders, broke several tackles and went around left end for the 41-yard score. Palmer again successfully booted the extra-point to give the Eagles the 28-0 halftime lead.

The Owls' offensive woes were evident at the break. Their failure to establish a running game (-1 rushing yards in the first half) hindered their passing attack as BA put intense pressure on QB John Conrad McCrary, who finished 6-19 for 53 yards and two interceptions before leaving the game with an injury at the half.

In the second half, Brentwood Academy played sound football and cruised to victory. The Eagles scored on the first two possessions of the half to salt away a dominant win. First, Townsend scored his second touchdown of the game with a 19-yard run, and then J.P. Wilcher caught a 9-yard pass from QB Brad Bowker to extend the lead to 42-0 in the third quarter.

But MUS did not quit. Rob Park came in and went 10-22 for 135 yards passing in the second half to get the offense going somewhat, and RB Kane Alber added two touchdown runs in the fourth quarter.

His first culminated a 14-play, 80-yard drive that amassed 5:04 as he went in from 6-yards out. Ben Tacker's extra-point cut the lead.

The Owls scored on their next possession as well as they used 11 plays to go 93 yards. Alber's 1-yard run and Tacker's PAT finished the scoring as BA cruised.

MUS ended with 277 total yards and moved the ball in the second half, but the deficit was too large to overcome as the Owls lost to BA for the seventh straight time.

The road does not get easier for MUS as they travel to MBA (8-0, 3-0), the 11th-ranked team in the nation, this Friday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. in Nashville as the Owls look to avenge last year's 20-14 season-ending loss.

Golfers Finish Strong to Claim Second at State

The MUS varsity golf team finished another outstanding season by placing second in the state tournament, held October 7-8 at the Bear Trace golf course at Tims Ford State Park in Winchester, Tennessee.

Most years, the 580 team score that the Owls put up would have been enough to bring the title back to Memphis. After all, their score tied for the third lowest 36-hole team score in state-tournament history. Yet Baylor's 565, which smashed the previous 36-hole record by eight strokes, was more than enough as the Red Raiders won another state championship.

MUS knew they had a staunch challenge ahead of them going into the tournament with Baylor and other solid squads competing. But the Owls were in striking distance after day one with some solid individual rounds.

Senior Scott Tashie led the way with a sizzling 68 to place him second individually behind Baylor's Seth Brandon, who shot a 63 to tie the lowest 18-hole individual score.

Sophomore Bobby Hudson contributed to the Owls' run with a solid 73 in round one while freshman Daniel Brown was not intimidated during his first state-tournament round as he posted a 74. Junior Richard White and sophomore Alex Synder rounded out the MUS scoring as both shot 79 on day one. These combined scores had the Owls in third place, ten strokes behind Baylor.

MUS knew they would need to shoot some better rounds and have Baylor become normal again to have a chance to catch the Red Raiders. The Owl golfers definitely did their part.

Tashie continued to shoot under par as he posted a 69 and finish runner-up, seven strokes behind Brandon. Hudson improved by six shots as he finished with a 67 on day two to finish fourth overall. Synder shot a 71, eight strokes better than the first day, while Brown's 79 and White's 82 rounded out the scoring for the Owls.

Their second day total of 286 allowed them to move up and challenge, but Baylor kept the pressure on, posting a 281, to win going away.

The runner-up finish culminated a stellar year for the team, led by Coach Ronnie Wenzler, as they posted a 21-3 overall record. Tashie, White, Hudson, Synder, and Brown were joined by sophomores Bowers Clement and Phillip DeBardeleben, junior Clint Cowan, and seniors Will Owens and Scott Warren to make up the team that began the season with four straight match wins. After tough losses to Houston, CBHS, and SBEC, MUS rebounded to beat ECS heading into the postseason.

The Owls showed they would be a state contender with their performance at the sectional tournament, held at Orgill, as they posted a 288, seven shots ahead of CBHS. Hudson was the medalist of the tournament as he shot a 67, three shots ahead of the runner-up. The Owls then continued their solid play at the state tourney to finish with second in the state.

Owls Win, Clinch Playoff Berth

The varsity football team used a long run and an aggressive defense to turn back the visitors from Chattanooga as the Owls defeated the Baylor School, 17-6, last Friday night to secure a playoff berth.

On Homecoming, MUS (4-3, 2-0) scored on their first possession and never looked back as they shut down the vaunted Baylor running attack to post the critical victory.

The Owls took the opening kickoff and set a tone with an impressive first drive against the Red Raiders (3-2, 0-2). The possession was aided by a timely roughing-the-kicker penalty following a fourth-down punt, and that Baylor mishap jump-started the Owls. A good run/pass balance kept the Red Raider defense off-balance as MUS got big chunks of yardage on several plays. Two pass completions from John Conrad McCrary to John David Lawhorn got the Owls into Baylor territory, and then a 24-yard end-around by Lawhorn got the ball to the Red Raider 6-yard line. Warren Grimm advanced the ball to the 1-yard line following three runs, but MUS could not get into the endzone. The coaches decided to take the easy points, so Ben Tacker came in and hammered home a 20-yard field goal to give the Owls the 3-0 lead, an advantage they would never relinquish.

MUS increased their lead later in the first quarter following several defensive stands. Taking over at their own 20-yard line, the Owls slowly advanced the ball out to the 38-yard line. Then, on 3rd and 6, Kane Alber took a handoff and rumbled 62 yards for the score. Tacker's PAT gave MUS a 10-0 lead heading into the second quarter.

Baylor tried to come back, but they could never get into the endzone. First, they did put together their best drive of the game following the Alber run. They moved 67 yards in 14 plays to get to the Owl 9-yard line, but a third-down run was stopped, so Jake Dougher came out and connected on a 26-yard field goal to get the Raiders on the board.

Then, later in the period, the visitors took advantage of a McCrary interception in Owl territory. But once again, the MUS defense stepped up and stopped Baylor to force another field-goal attempt. Dougher connected once again, this time from 30 yards out, to cut the lead to 10-6.

But Baylor rarely threatened again. The MUS defense, giving up an average of over 300 yards per game going into this tilt, allowed only 167 total yards, including a mere 5 yards on 2-8 passing. In fact, the Red Raiders crossed midfield only once in the second half as they feverishly tried to come back and pull even in the conference.

The Owls added one final touchdown in the third quarter as Warren Grimm went in from 4-yards out for his fourth touchdown of the season. Tacker increased the lead and finished out the scoring with his extra point as the defense dominated on this evening.

Alber continued his impressive offensive display as he tallied 97 rushing yards on 11 carries, an average of 8.8 yards per rush. And sophomore Donnie Malmo led the defense from the safety position as he recorded 16 solo tackles to stymie the Red Raiders.

Now that they are in the playoffs, MUS can look to improve their seeding and build momentum during the remainder of the season. They get their first opportunity this Friday night as they make their first trip to Nashville for the year to take on mighty Brentwood Academy (5-1). The Owls will look to avenge last season's 42-10 loss as the teams prepare for the 7:30 kickoff.

Defensive Struggle Turns Offensive Late

Playing in its first overtime game since 1997, the varsity football team put forth a good effort but came up short as Briarcrest took the Owls down on the road, 24-17, in double overtime.

With the exception of one drive, neither team could put much offense together during the first three quarters.

After having forced an opening MUS punt, Briarcrest (3-3) took over from their own 38 and began an extremely impressive drive. Utilizing some power running and a three-man rotation at quarterback, the Saints kept the Owls (3-3, 1-0) off-balance as they picked up several first downs. Briarcrest finally was stopped at the MUS 5-yard line, and Justin Sparks dented the scoreboard first with a 22-yard field goal, culminating the 17-play, 62-yard drive that amassed an astonishing 10:20.

MUS could not put up any points until late in the half.

With the Owl defense finally beginning to exert themselves after the Saints' impressive opening drive, a stop gave MUS the ball near midfield. The Owls used 8 plays as QB John Conrad McCrary went 4-5 passing on the drive to get to the Saint 5-yard line, but an incomplete pass forced a 22-yard Ben Tacker field-goal attempt, which was good to tie the score at the break.

Defenses again dominated throughout the third quarter. As the game progressed, both teams knew that this game would be decided by a late big play. The Owls thought thay had their big play at the end of the third quarter.

After having been backed up to the Briarcrest 4 following a Sparks' punt, the Owls had 96 yards to reach the endzone. Kane Alber picked up that yardage in one play. Breaking a tackle, he raced down the sideline to put MUS up, 10-3, after the Tacker PAT. The 96-yard run was the second longest score in MUS history.

The Owls had several opportunities to put the game away but could not put together any drives in the fourth quarter. Finally, Briarcrest had one more opportunity.

Starting from their own 20 with fewer than three minutes remaining, the Saints worked sideline routes and slowly drove down the field. Converting several third downs, Briarcrest got into MUS territory and began to threaten. Finally, on 2nd and goal from the Owl 7, QB Wes Henry hit Bram Cannon for a touchdown with 36 seconds remaining. The reception culminated the 16-play drive, and Sparks' extra-point tied the score at 10.

Even with only 36 seconds remaining, the Owls were not content with overtime. McCrary completed two passes to get to the Saint 36, and with mere seconds remaining, he hit John David Lawhorn at the 2-yard line. The Owls furiously tried to call timeout, but time had expired as the team went to overtime.

The Owls struck first in the first extra period as Alber, who finished with 117 yards on 6 carries, took the option pitch on the first play and went in from 10 yards. Tacker's PAT made the lead 7 points, and MUS needed only one defensive stop to secure the victory.

However, Briarcrest would not oblige.

Facing a 4th and 10, Henry hit James Allison, who somehow got one foot inbounds to score. Sparks' PAT sent the game to a second overtime.

Briarcrest got the first possession in the second extra period, and Allison struck again. On 3rd and 9 following a late-hit penalty against MUS, Henry hit his receiver again in the endzone for the touchdown. Sparks made the score 24-17.

MUS now needed to answer, and they could not.

On 2nd down with a raucous crowd against MUS, McCrary's pass into the endzone was tipped and intercepted by Smith Ferguson as the Owls lost the heartbreaker.

With the exception of Briarcrest's first and last drive of regulation, the Owl defense shut the Saints down as MUS led in total offense, 312-198. However, the Saints got all the points they needed in those two drives as they forced overtime and won the game in the extra periods.

This Friday night is Homecoming at Hull-Dobbs as MUS battles Chattanooga Baylor (3-1, 0-1). Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. as the Owls will try to even the series at three games apiece.