Maryville (Tenn.) 12, Westminster (Mo.) 7
Sep 06, 2003
MARYVILLE, Tenn. — The rust has been shaken off the bell in Anderson Hall. For the first time in a long time the Maryville Fighting Scots were victorious on Honaker Field. Maryville put together a great team effort to defeat Westminster (Mo.) 12-6.Sep 06, 2003
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Westminster (Mo.)
First year head coach Tony Ierulli was excited about the season opener. “First of all, I have to give all my players and coaches all the credit for getting the team totally prepared, replied Ierulli. “They (Westminster) are a very good football team. Our kids just really believed they could win it.”
The Scots put up a touchdown in the first quarter on a 79-yard touchdown run by Marcus Kenny. Before and after Kenny’s scamper the first half was a defensive clinic. Maryville went to the locker room with the lead 6-0.
Westminster set the tone in the third quarter. A methodical 18-play, 85 yard drive was finished with a 5-yard pass from Val Leppert to Chip Shank. Jonathan Eccher added the extra point and the Blue Jays went up 7-6.
Maryville moved the ball consistently in the third and fourth quarters, but turnovers and penalties would not allow them to score.
With less than four minutes remaining, MC’s dream drive came alive. After a long run by Shaun Hayes, Nick Derry finished a 6-play, 63-yard drive with a completion to Gary Patterson in the corner of the endzone. The Scots went up 12-6. The following 2-point conversion failed.
Ierulli had high praises for his offense. “The kids just kept fighting and our offense really kept their composure on that last drive. It was a great drive late in the game. We popped a long run and then converted a big third down for the winning score. I guess you couldn’t have scripted it any better.”
The Blue Jay offense tallied 171 passing yards and 75 yards rushing. Leppert completed 24 of 35 passes for 171 yards. Robbie Coleman caught five passes for 44 yards and added 45 yards rushing on 19 carries.
Westminster’s pass defense held Maryville to 56 yards, but Maryville’s Marcus Kenny accounted for 183 of the Scots’ 335 rushing yards. Pat Byrne led the Blue Jay defense with nine tackles.