Patriots win opener in mud

Marshall Academy kicked off its season with a win Friday night in what could appropriately be called “the mud bowl.”

The Patriots scored a pair of touchdowns in each half, plus a safety, and knocked off Fayette Academy, Tenn., 26-6. The field at MA had taken tons of rain the night before and more that morning.

“A win is a win,” head coach Tony Banks said. “It was ugly, but it was hard to do what we wanted to offensively in those conditions.”

The two teams combined for 31 penalties, 17 of those on the Patriots.

“Some of those were effort penalties, and then those like motion, we can’t have those,” he said. “Most of time, you can’t win with that many penalties — that’s for sure. We have a lot to correct.”

Marshall cashed in a 47-yard drive late in the first quarter. Ethan Helton, Jimmy Morales and Jack Smith did all the damage on the ground. Morales scored on a 6-yard keeper with nine seconds left. A try-for-two failed.

The Patriots’ Will Merrell recovered a fumble on the first play of the Vikings’ next offensive series.

Five plays later, Morales carried for his second touchdown of the night, this one from 2 yards out. Again, the two-point conversion try was not successful. It was 12-0 with 9:53 remaining in the second quarter.

Colton Neal recovered the ensuing onside kick, but MA, hampered by flags, couldn’t cash it in for more points.

The Patriots reached the 5-yard line as the first half was drawing to a close, but a pass into the end zone fell incomplete.

The Patriot defense was dominant in the first half, giving up no first downs to Fayette.

With the Vikings facing a second and eight from its own 4 midway through the third, the Patriots tackled the quarterback in the end zone for a safety.

MA opened the fourth quarter successfully when Smith got loose along the left sideline and traveled 34 yards for six points. A pass try for the two failed. It was 20-0.

The Patriots’ completed their scoring with 7:17 left. Morales spotted Gavin Cole - man open over the middle. He made the catch and completed a 43-yard scoring play. For the fourth time on the night, the try-for-two was not successful

The Vikings avoided the shutout by scoring on a 44- yard pass play with 25 seconds remaining. The extra-point kick was no good.

“In the first game, you’re certainly going to have mistakes, and we certainly have to correct them,” Banks said.

“The conditions just didn’t allow us to execute the way we wanted. We had to play a different type game, and because we’re a very physical team, I think that helped a lot.

“Defensively, I thought we played extremely well in those conditions.

“We’re a work in pro gress.”

The Class 4A Patriots will have a much tougher assignment in week two. They host 5A Bayou Academy Friday night at 7. The Colts downed Riverfield Academy, La., 33-7 in their season-opener.

“It’s a big school,” Banks said. “They have the numbers. They will dress out probably 50. It’s going to be a huge challenge.”