MUS Sports News

Owls’ Second-Half Clutch Play Defeats MBA

In a nearly statistically even game, the MUS football team used a determined defense and clutch offense to overcome a slow first half as they defeated Montgomery Bell Academy, the defending state champion and top-ranked team in the state, 14-8, at Hull-Dobbs last Friday night.

The Owls (8-1, 2-1) and MBA (7-2, 3-1) started slowly on their first drives as both went three-and-out and were forced to punt.

However, on the Big Red’s second possession, they drove into MUS territory but faced a 3rd-and-4 from the Owl 10.  Yet the MUS defense stepped up, forcing a David Howe incompletion and a fourth down.  MBA looked to settle for the sure points as they sent out their field goal unit; however, Bryant Hahnfeldt’s 27-yard field goal sailed wide left, keeping the game scoreless in the first quarter.

But MBA took advantage of this field position as they forced a quick Owl punt, and Luke Brown got the Big Red on the scoreboard first as he blocked Rob Park’s punt, sending it through the back of the end zone for a safety.

MBA now had the momentum and looked to increase their advantage, yet the MUS defense stepped up following the initial Big Red score, holding MBA scoreless the rest of the first half.

However, the Owl offense found no rhythm offensively throughout the first half against the aggressive, overwhelming MBA defense and could not sustain any consistent drives.

The Big Red offense did threaten one final time in the second quarter, but a Donnie Malmo interception inside the MUS 10 squelched the scoring opportunity as the teams went to the half. 

The second half initially looked much like the first as both teams continued to struggle offensively. 

With the defenses playing well, both coaching staffs knew that the game would likely be won by the team who could force some mistakes and turnovers, and Defensive Coordinator Bubba Burr’s group obliged. 

With the Big Red facing a 2nd and 6 from the MUS 43-yard line, junior LB Will Pickens forced a Howe fumble, and Joey Friend’s recovery gave the Owls the ball at midfield. 

MUS looked to take advantage of this turnover, and they struck quickly.  Park set up the score with a 39-yard pass to J.P. Zdancewicz to the 1-yard line.  Park’s sneak on the very next play and Ben Tacker’s PAT gave the Owls the 7-2 lead late in the third quarter.

MBA looked to regain the advantage, but the MUS defense once again held, forcing a Big-Red punt early in the fourth quarter; however, John David Lawhorn muffed the punt at his own 20-yard line, and Ben Daniel’s recovery set up the Big-Red offense inside the Owl 30. 

MBA capitalized on the turnover as Howe hit Chambliss Shillinglaw for a 27-yard score.  The Big-Red two-point conversion failed as the MUS defense forced an incomplete pass, yet the Big Red still maintained the 8-7 lead with 10:19 left in the fourth quarter.

The Owls, who had not put together a long drive all night, now needed one to regain the lead, and they came through.  Using five rushes and two passes, MUS face a 4th and 3 at the MBA 35; going for the first down, Park rolled right and hit Zdancewicz, who spun and raced into the end zone to send the home crowd into an uproar.  Tacker’s PAT gave MUS the 14-8 lead with 6:33 left in the game.

The MUS defense now needed to hold, and they stepped up, stopping the Big Red at their own 41 to force a punt.

Looking to run out the clock, the Owls took over at the MUS 36 and gained three crucial first downs, including two on critical 4th-and-1 plays, as they ran out the clock and secured the 14-8 victory.

The MUS win can be attributed to their second-half defensive performance and clutch rushing attack.  The defense allowed only 14 yards passing in the second half and only one touchdown.  The Owls finished with 89 yards rushing, 83 of those by Kane Alber, and Zdancewicz also contributed with 74 yards receiving, including a 39-yard reception and one touchdown.  After only 17 first-half passing yards, the offense did get untracked and actually outgained the Big Red, 212-209, in this big win that evened the overall series at 6.

Next week the Owls take on rival CBHS as MUS will look to improve playoff seeding and avenge last season’s home loss.  Kickoff is set for 7:30 at CBHS.

MUS Finishes Second in County Championship

The Owl varsity cross-country team competed in the final Shelby County meet at Shelby Farms on Tuesday, October 19, and ran well to take second in a field of sixteen teams, finishing behind only Houston High School.  The runners will now look forward to the Regional Championship, held Thursday, October 28.

On Tuesday, the damp, humid conditions made for a tough day of running.  Although for most teams times were higher, Owl runners still fared well individually considering the conditions.  This particular race allowed teams to have eight participants rather than the usual seven.  Juniors Hunter Adams (6th) and Donald McClure (9th) represented the Owls in the group of top-ten finishers.  Other MUS runners also contributed to the runner-up finish, including juniors Peter Zanca, Matt Dowling, and Oliver Green, and sophomores Ken Haltom, Steven Counce, and Andrew Jehl.

Now the Owls look toward the Division II West Regional next Thursday, also at Shelby Farms.  This race will crown a champion for one of the three Tennessee Division II regions.  Around eight to ten teams will be running in this competition, and MUS coaches think it will be a very close race, Christian Brothers and several other teams being worthy competitors throughout the season.

The squad hopes to earn a berth in the state meet, held November 6, with a strong showing at the regional race.  The junior-varsity runners finish their season on Thursday, October 21, with the JV County Championship.

Rushing Attack Leads Owls to Homecoming Victory

With a dominating performance by the MUS rushing attack, the varsity football team rebounded from their first loss last week with an impressive 24-13 victory over middle-Tennessee rival Brentwood Academy in front of an electric Homecoming crowd at Hull-Dobbs.

However, Brentwood (4-3, 1-2) started strong on their first drive as they took only 1:48 to take the early lead over the Owls (7-1, 1-1).  On only the fourth play of the game, BA tailback Tyree Ford scampered 41 yards for the score to give the Eagles the 7-0 lead after the Phillip Masters’ PAT.

MUS started slowly on their first drive, but after having traded punts, the Owl offense found itself in BA territory on their next possession.

MUS quickly took advantage of this favorable field position as senior QB Rob Park took it upon himself to get his team into the end zone.

The Owls used three rushes and two passes to drive all the way to the Eagle 4-yard line. On the ensuing play, Park found the end zone with a 4-yard run to cap the 7-play, 49-yard drive.  Ben Tacker’s PAT evened the score at 7 with 3:02 to play in the first quarter.

Neither team could establish control after the initial scores until midway through the second quarter when BA put a drive together, marching all the way down to the MUS 8-yard line.  Yet on 3rd and 4, Eagle QB Tyler Griffin fumbled, and Joey Friend’s recovery gave the Owls the football on the Eagle 14.

Following the BA turnover, MUS had momentum on their side and looked to take the lead.  Starting inside their own 20, the Owls kept the ball on the ground as senior RB Kane Alber, who finished with 195 yards on 25 carries, rushed eight times, including on six consecutive plays.  Alber’s elusive running style and fine blocking from the offensive line led MUS into Brentwood territory.  However, the Owl drive stalled inside the Eagle 20, and Tacker connected on the 32-yard field goal to give MUS the 10-7 lead with only 14 seconds left in the half.

Heading into the half, the Owls looked to put the game away and send the crowd home happy.

Getting the ball first in the second half, MUS looked to increase their lead as they once again turned to Alber.  After ten consecutive rushes, the Owls offense found itself threatening at the BA 19.  Then, on 3rd and 9, Park fired incomplete to John David Lawhorn, and MUS sent out the field-goal unit.  Tacker once again connected on the field goal, this time from 36 yards out, to give the Owls the 13-7 lead.

The MUS defense then stepped up on the next Eagle possession, keeping BA out of MUS territory and forcing another punt.

Following the Brentwood punt, MUS took over at their own 18 and looked to their running game for another score.  On the sixth play of the drive, Alber broke loose for a 74-yard gain to the Eagle 3.  Two plays later, Rob Park ran in for the 1-yard TD to cap the 7 play, 82-yard drive.  Tacker’s extra-point gave the Owls the 20-7 lead with only 30 seconds left in the third.

Down by 13 in the fourth quarter, BA needed to score soon, and they struck quickly.  Capping a 9-play, 78-yard drive, Griffin hit TE Barry Turner for the 10-yard score, and Masters’ PAT cut the advantage to 20-14 with 10:19 remaining in the game.

The Owls now needed a big drive to secure their lead, and as they had most of the game, the offense came through.

MUS once again relied on their rushing game as they ran the ball on 11 of their 14 plays.  But the passing game kept the Owls alive as they converted several important third-downs as Park hit Doug Boyer for one conversion and Max Prokell on another to keep the drive going.  With these conversions, the Owls slowly drove down to the BA 3.  But facing a fourth down, the MUS coaches sent out the field-goal unit to put the game away, and Tacker made the 20-yard attempt to give the Owls the 23-14 lead with 2:34 left in the game.  The points culminated the 15-play, 67-yard drive that amassed 7:45.

The MUS defense then stepped up to squelch any Eagle comeback attempt as CB Logan Welch picked off a final Griffin pass in the end zone to secure the win.

The impressive Owl performance can be attributed to their dominant running game and ball control as MUS piled up 269 rushing yards and held the ball for 31:56, nearly twice as long as BA.  And after seven turnovers the previous week, MUS committed none in this game, while the Owl defense held the Eagles to only one score following that initial drive and only 103 rushing yards, well below the BA average.  Tacker’s three field goals helped secure the victory as well.

Following Fall Break, the Owls take on MBA on October 22 and will look to take down the defending “Super Seven” state champion.  Kickoff is set for 7:00 at Hull-Dobbs.

Second Place for Owl Runners at Frank Horton

This past Saturday, October 2, the MUS cross-country team participated in the sixteenth-annual Frank Horton Invitational at Shelby Farms.  The Owls placed second, finishing behind the West Plain (MO) Zizzers.  The Zizzers of East Missouri have been known as a cross-country powerhouse for years, winning the Frank Horton for the last three years.  MUS did place 11 points ahead of a strong Bolton squad, who came in third, and 14 other competitive squads from around the area.

Junior Hunter Adams was the Owls top runner, placing 8th in the varsity race.  Also helping bring home the silver were the rest of the squad: juniors Donald McClure (11th), Peter Zanca (15th), and Oliver Green (49th) and sophomores Ken Haltom (20th), Louie Ghawji (24th), and Steven Counce (31st).

After the varsity team had made a big statement in its race, an open division race occurred for anyone who could survive three miles.  Running personal bests in either race were Hunter Adams, Austin Beckford, Bill Bell, Wilson Castleman, Steven Counce, Scott Edwards, Daniel Harriman, Neale Hicks, Andrew Jehl, Aaron Khouri, Donald McClure, Nick Nash, Rob Pitts, Byron Tyler, and Josh Vieira.  Also running in the open race, MUS faculty member Loyal Murphy, better known for his brutally athletic domination on the soccer field, successfully defended his first-place title in his age group.  The Owls hope to continue to perform at a praise-worthy level in their next league meet on Tuesday, October 12.

Football Team Suffers First Loss in Chattanooga

Despite seven turnovers, the MUS varsity football team played hard and tried to fight back, yet they fell just short, losing 17-7 to the Baylor School in Chattanooga as the Owls suffered their first loss of the season.

However, MUS (6-1, 1-1) started strong against the Red Raiders (3-2, 1-1).  The Owls took the opening kickoff at the MUS 20 and drove past midfield, using six plays.  Yet the drive ultimately stalled, and Rob Park’s punt pinned Baylor at their own 14.

Looking to take advantage of Baylor’s poor field position, the Owl defense forced a quick punt at the Raider 25, but Garrett Cash’s 53-yard punt and an illegal-block penalty against the Owls turned the field position around.

From this point, the Owls moved the football well, yet penalties and turnovers continually negated scoring opportunities.

MUS suffered three turnovers in the first half as two interceptions and one fumble, all in MUS territory, put much pressure on the Owl defense.  Yet Coach Bubba Burr’s defenders kept Baylor from scoring as the defense forced two punts and a turnover to keep the game even going into the half.

Statistically, MUS dominated the half as they tallied 11 first downs and 158 total yards, compared to only 4 Raider first downs and 65 total yards.  However, three Owl turnovers and four penalties kept the game scoreless.

In the second half, Baylor began to take advantage of MUS missed opportunities to gain control.

The Red Raiders took the second-half kickoff and used seven plays to amass 62 yards and score the first points of the game as QB Cody Romans went in from 6 yards out.  Philip Spitalny’s extra-point gave the Raiders the 7-0 lead just 2:15 into the third quarter.

The Owls tried to answer that touchdown.  Yet on 2nd and 6 from the MUS 34-yard line, Mason Thomas picked off Park and returned the interception 36 yards for the score.  Spitalny’s PAT again was good as Baylor doubled their advantage with 8:55 left in the third quarter.

Yet MUS refused to quit.  With a nice balance of passes and runs, the Owls drove deep into Baylor territory as Park was 3 for 3 on the drive, including a 19-yard pass across the middle to TE Weller Drennon.  However, Thomas once again stopped the drive with his second interception at the Baylor 16.

The defense once again kept the game within reach as linemen such as Joey Friend, Mason George, and Jesse Robinson, and linebackers like Hays Doan, Rob Heflin, Mason Mosby, Will Pickens, and John Stokes kept the vaunted Baylor rushing attack grounded for most of the night.  However, even though the offense moved the ball well, mistakes prevented much scoring.

The start of the fourth quarter provided MUS with hope as the Owls began a drive following a Will Thornton interception.  14 plays and 82 yards later, Park scored from 1-yard out, and Ben Tacker’s PAT cut the lead to 14-7 with over 8 minutes left in the game.

However, Baylor put the game away with their next drive as they used 14 plays and 6:21 to go 65 yards and get deep into MUS territory.  Facing a 4th and goal at the Owl 7, Spitalny’s 25-yard field-goal attempt was good as Baylor went up 17-7.

Sophomore Michael Park led the Owls’ next drive and played well, completing 6-12 for 77 yards.  However, the drive ended with an interception, the team’s sixth of the evening, in the endzone as Baylor won their first conference game of the year.

Despite the mistakes, the offense piled up impressive numbers as they gained 409 total yards, including 251 passing yards and 158 rushing yards.  Warren Grimm led the Owls in rushing as he gained 73 yards on 15 carries.  MUS also tallied 23 first downs and ran 26 more plays than Baylor as the visitors held the ball nearly 5 minutes longer.  Baylor tallied only 196 total yards, but their ability to take advantage of opportunities earned them the victory.

Next week is Homecoming week at MUS.  Friday night, the Owls will look to culminate Homecoming festivities with a good performance against longtime rival Brentwood Academy.  Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. at Hull-Dobbs.