Patriots ease by Knights


Thursday, Oct. 18, 2007
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By BARRY BURLESON
Editor

File photo

Head coach
Keith Wicker, in his first season, has his Patriots at 7-1 overall.

It didn’t take long for Marshall Academy to tuck away a win Friday night in Arkansas.

Coach Keith Wicker’s team surged ahead of West Memphis Christian 34-0 in the first half and he gave the ninth grade Patriots, just up from the junior high team, plenty of playing time in the second 24 minutes. The final was 40-12.

“We jumped on them pretty quickly,” Wicker said. “We scored two touchdowns in the first quarter and then kind of exploded (with 21 points) in the second quarter. Then we started playing the younger kids.”

The non-district win improved MA to 7-1 on the season. The Black Knights dropped to 1-6.

The Patriots’ first score came just two minutes into the game. Brent Adams hooked up with Wesley Harris for a 52-yard pass for six. The extra-point try failed.

Midway through the first quarter Hunter Bolden scored on a 22-yard run. Adams’ kick was good.

The three second-quarter touchdowns came on Tyler Childers’ 30-yard run, a 12-yard toss from Adams to Harris and an 80-yard interception return by Childers. The last of those came with 10 seconds to go in the first half. Adams added all three extra points.

Due to the big margin at intermission, the clock ran non-stop in the second half.

The Black Knights got their first points with 8:51 left in the third quarter. Anthony Long scored on a 16-yard run. A try-for-two failed.

Marshall Academy put together one more touchdown march. Taylor Dempsey had a 32-yard run to the West Memphis 10. A few plays later John Tomlinson got the six points on a 4-yard carry. The extra-point try was blocked.

Peyton Pugh, quarterback for the Black Knights, scored on a 3-yard run with 4:51 to go in the game. The try-for-two was unsuccessful.

Adams was six of eight passing for 103 yards, all in the first half. Harris had 79 yards receiving. Dempsey rushed for 61 yards. Childers ran for 49, all in the first half. MA rushed for 123 yards in the first half and 68 in the fast-moving second half.

Leading the MA defensive attack were Justin Gray with seven tackles, Jake Paylor with six tackles and a sack, and Dempsey with five tackles. Several other Patriots and three and four tackles each in the team effort.

Marshall travels to Marks this Friday night for a non-district contest against Delta Academy (4-4 on the season). The Raiders beat Tunica Institute of Learning 34-6 last Friday night.

Wicker said his Patriots can’t get caught looking ahead to their final regular season game October 26 versus district foe Carroll Academy. A win in that one clinches the district championship.

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