Needing to bounce back from a loss to Nease (FL), the MUS varsity football team opened up their conference season with a blue-collar win over Montgomery Bell Academy last Friday night, taking the hard-fought, defensive battle, 10-7, in the first game played in the new all-sports stadium.
Just as they have frequently the past three seasons, the Owls (2-1, 1-0) overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Big Red (2-1, 0-1).
After both teams had opened the game with three-and-outs, the MUS offense looked good on their next drive as they put together a 10-play, 57-yard drive. However, once reaching the MBA 4-yard line, the Owls could not reach the end zone as they were forced to kick a field goal. Zach Scott nailed a 20-yarder to give MUS a 3-0 advantage early.
That field goal would hold for much of the first half, but MBA would finally start moving the ball late in the second quarter.
On 2nd-and-10 from the MBA 41-yard line, RB Patrick Crum dashed 22 yards to get into MUS territory. Four plays later, QB Austin Bennett completed a 26-yard pass to Swan Burris for the score. Clayton Foster's PAT made the score 7-3 with 1:27 remaining in the half.
MUS could not answer in the little time left in the half, and MBA went into the locker room with momentum and the lead.
The second half opened up with a 28-yard drive by MBA before DeAndre Jones forced a Bennett fumble on the MUS 45-yard line, recovered by senior DE Buck Towner.
Despite the good field position, the Owls could not capitalize and were once again stopped by the persistent Big Red defense. This trend continued throughout the third quarter and through some of the fourth quarter until the Owls finally began to put together a drive.
Starting on their own 32-yard line, QB Michael Park and RB Walt Wepfer made some crucial plays to move the ball to the MBA 32-yard line. From there, Park hooked up with the versatile Scott for the go-ahead score with 7:43 remaining in the game. Scott tacked on the PAT for the Owls as they regained the lead, 10-7.
On their last drive of the game, MBA moved into MUS territory in the final minute, but without any times out, the Big Red ended their own hopes with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty that pushed them back into their own territory. On the last play of the game, Ben Stallworth sacked Bennett to perserve the victory.
The game was remarkably even as MUS held only an 12-yard advantage in total offense, and both teams had the ball 24:00. But the Owl defensive front and third-down conversion rate (5/12 compared MBA's 2/10) were the keys to victory.
With the win, MUS extended the series lead over MBA to 9-6 as they defeated the Big Red for the fourth consecutive time.
Next week, the Owls travel to Evangelical Christian School to take on the undefeated Eagles. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.