Big 2nd quarter lifts Panthers over McClain

The visiting McClain Tigers had to contend with senior night and homecoming for Miami Trace Friday night, plus the Tigers were missing several starters. After a slow start, the Panthers quickly showed why they are sitting atop the Frontier Athletic Conference standings after a 44-10 victory over MHS.

The Panthers took the opening kickoff and marched 63 yards on just four plays to pay dirt on a 3-yard touchdown run by sophomore tailback Julian Baker. Baker finished the game with 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

McClain also looked good on their opening offensive series behind the strong running of senior tailback Owen Sykes.

The Tigers used a time-consuming ground attack to move the football inside the Miami Trace 15-yard line but had to settle for a successful 29-yard field goal by Zane Adams with 4:35 left in the opening quarter. It was an impressive 64-yard drive on 11 plays that consumed over five minutes off the clock.

The Panthers answered the McClain score with their second touchdown of the game, this one a 68-yard pass from senior quarterback Trey Robinette to Gaige Stuckey, putting Miami Trace up 14-3 with just 1:24 on the clock, which is how the quarter ended.

A bad snap on McClain’s first possession of the second quarter was recovered by the Panthers on the Tigers’ 23-yard line. The Panthers took advantage of the miscue and scored again, on another Robinette to Stuckey TD pass, and after a third successful PAT by Levi Morrison, it was 21-3 with 11:50 still showing on the second-period clock.

Things continued to unravel for McClain when Miami Trace sacked the Tigers freshman quarterback Hudson Lovett in the end zone for a safety. It was suddenly 23-3, and the rout was on.

The Panthers added another touchdown at the 6:37 mark of the second quarter when they used a 10-play drive to go 73 yards, the last 12 yards on a TD run by Evan Colegrove, making it 30-3.

On the ensuing kickoff, the McClain returner fumbled the ball, and it was recovered by the Panthers on the Tigers’ 14-yard line.

Miami Trace added their fifth touchdown of the game on the next play, a 16-yard TD pass from Robinette to Austin Brown, and their advantage grew to 37-3.

Another fumble by McClain toward the end of the opening half was recovered by the Panthers, and they finished off the first-half scoring with Baker’s second touchdown, this one a 21-yard run, bringing the first half to a close with Miami Trace leading 44-3.

“I think we went to sleep a little bit in the second quarter,” McClain head coach Keith Penwell said. “They took advantage of three turnovers and turned them into scores, so we didn’t really help ourselves in those situations.

“Miami Trace is really good, and I think this is as good of a Panther squad that I’ve seen in a while. They have players everywhere, and they’ve got depth. It’s going to be a good game between them and Jackson next week.”

Neither team scored in the third quarter, as the over-30 running clock rule was in effect, and both coaches had started substituting their younger players into the game.

McClain got a big run from reserve tailback Keaton Beucler when he raced 48 yards down to the Miami Trace 16-yard line as the third period was ending.

After a solid 10-yard run by freshman Hayden Cornell moved the ball to the Panthers’ 6-yard line, Owen Sykes scored McClain’s only touchdown of the game on a 4-yard run. Adams added the PAT, and that was how the game ended, with a 44-10 Panther victory.

“I thought Cohen Six played really well tonight,” Penwell said. “He had to go against the big Guthrie kid for Trace all night from his defensive end position.

“You talk about a tough kid; he plays quarterback, then has to play against him on defense. Cohen is a tough kid who works really hard and has no quit, and he’s always positive.

“Owen Sykes probably played his best ballgame of the season; he was running hard between the tackles and outside, and he was really wanting it tonight,” Penwell continued. “We had other kids play well too, Zane Adams and Cam Medley had good games, and I thought our receivers were blocking better.”

Sykes finished the game with 46 yards rushing and a touchdown, as well as two kickoff returns for 25 yards. Adams had the aforementioned field goal and made PAT, plus two receptions for 11 yards. Also on offense, Landon McNeal had a 41-yard reception for MHS, and Riley Cummins had two kickoff returns for 28 yards and one six-yard reception.

Medley was the Tigers’ tackles leader with four tackles. Cornell and Jhett Watson each had three and a half tackles. T.D. Matesic added two and a half tackles, and with two tackles each were Eli Douglas and Jordan Bell.
      
“I love our kids, and I know it didn’t go the way we wanted it to tonight, and I will continue to say we can’t ever question the way our kids work,” Penwell said. “We just need to get healthy and keep working.”

The Tigers did outgain the Panthers on the ground with 185 yards on 34 carries. But the Panthers did a lot of their damage from the air, with their senior quarterback Trey Robinette completing 10-of-14 passes for 195 yards and four touchdowns.

McClain (0-2, 1-6) will host Chillicothe (0-2, 0-7) next Friday, Oct. 11.

Publisher's note: A free press is critical to having well-informed voters and citizens. While some news organizations opt for paid websites or costly paywalls, The Highland County Press has maintained a free newspaper and website for the last 25 years for our community. If you would like to contribute to this service, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be made to: The Highland County Press, P.O. Box 849, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Please include "for website" on the memo line.