Bloom-Carroll slows Nauman, Scots, 31-3
The eighth-seeded Highland Fighting Scots were 9-2 and had outscored the opposition 337-199 entering the Division IV, region 15 semifinal against undefeated No.1-ranked Bloom-Carroll.
Co-KMAC Player of the Year Dane Nauman was rushing at a clip of better than 10 yards per carry.
So when Highland took the lead against Bloom-Carroll on a 26-yard field goal by Caleb Hunter with 7:51 left in the first, the Fighting Scots were filled with confidence. They never thought that would be their last score of the game. That 3-0 advantage held up for most of the first half, but the Bulldogs took a 7-3 lead with 2:45 left in the half on a 5-yard TD by Chase Plants.
Midway through the third quarter, things started to change, and Bloom-Carroll demonstrated why it is 12-0 this season with three third-quarter scores in 3½ minutes.
The Bulldogs out-passed the Fighting Scots 197 to 36 and outgained them on the ground 171 to 155, making 21 first downs to nine for Highland. The Scots converted only 4 of 14 third down attempts, and the Bulldogs were 6 of 13.
For Highland, Cooper Merckling was 9-for-17 passing for 33 yards, as the Bulldogs’ KJ Benedict completed 18 of 25 for 182 and 5 touchdowns. On the ground, Nauman gained 120 yards on 23 carries (great stats for anyone else, but a down game for him). B-C was led by Dylan Armentrout, who gained 79 yards on eight carries.
In a Bulldog-Bulldog final, B-C takes on Heath (10-2), on Friday
Roughriders run roughshod over Northmor, 63-13
The No. 6-seeded Northmor Golden Knights hit the Division VI, Region 23 semifinals with a 9-2 record, having outscored their foes 284-173. But in the playoffs, there is always someone with better stats, as 3-seed West Jefferson entered the game at 10-1 with a 420-132 points advantage. It didn’t take long to see where those stats came from.
West-Jeff scored early and often and took control in the first quarter with three scores and a 21-0 lead. That lead swelled to 42-0 in the second quarter before the Golden Knights finally hit the scoreboard with 2:51 left in the half on a 39-yard rainbow from Marcus Cortez to Trenton Ramos to make it 42-6. The energy boost was short-lived, as Adam Fry returned the ensuing kickoff 83 yards for a TD.
Cortez found Ramos again in the third quarter for a 26-yard TD, and defenses were stronger against reserves the rest off the way, but Northmor was on the short end of the 63-13 final score.
Perhaps the game was won and lost on third-down efficiency, as stat-wise, the game was close, while scoreboard-wise, it certainly wasn’t.
West Jefferson had a passing yards advantage of 279-179, and a rushing edge of 144-83, but made 31 first downs to 11 for Northmor. On third down, West-Jeff was 7 of 8, while Northmor failed to convert any of its seven third-down situations.
For Northmor, Marcus Cortez completed 9 of 25 for 139 yards and two TDs, and AJ Bower was 3-for-6 for 40 yards, but West Jefferson’s Tyler Buescher completed 27 of 34 for 269 yards.
Golden Knights running back Max Lower was held to only 46 yards on 13 carries, and Cortez ran for 30. For the Roughriders, Hayden Salyer had nine carries for 70 yards and scored three times in the first quarter. MJ Book caught 11 for 118 and Adam Fry 10 for 89 for West Jefferson, and the top Golden Knights receiver was Trenton Ramos with five receptions for just 11 yards, though two of them were for scores..
West Jefferson takes on Fairland (10-1) in the final. The Dragons have outscored their opponents 412-139 this season and ride an eight-game winning streak.
