MUS Sports News

Golfers Play Much Better On Day Two At State

After not having played well on day one of the Division II-AA state golf tournament in Manchester, the varsity golf team performed much better on the second day as they team combined to post the best score of the day among the six schools.

The Owls began the day tied for fifth overall at the WillowBrook Golf Course, twenty-seven strokes behind McCallie, but on day two, MUS combined to shoot eighteen strokes better than their first day as the top four players all had better rounds.

Sophomore Zachary Olsen posted the best round of the day among all golfers, shooting 68 (-4) to finish at 143 (-1) for the tournament. He finished second overall, matching his second-place showing from last year. In his three state tournaments, Olsen has finished no worse than second place, including winning the tournament in 2008, his eighth-grade year.

Other MUS performers included junior Daniel McLeod, who was five strokes better today as he shot 75 (+3) to finish at 155 (+11).

Eighth-grader Hays Moreland also posted a better score today (76), which was five shots better than yesterday as he finished at 157 (+13).
 
Additionally, senior Clifton Jordan rebounded today as he shot 81 (+9) to finish at 163 (+19).

And sophomore Jake Rudesill shot 86 today (+14) to post a final 170 (+26).

The Owls combined to shoot 300 today, which was eighteen shots better than yesterday's performance as MUS moved into fourth place, just five strokes out of third place. McCallie won the event at 595, besting Briarcrest (603), Baylor (613), MUS, defending-champion Brentwood Academy (624), and Ensworth (630).

Despite not accomplishing their overall goal, the Owls showed character to play well today after yesterday's effort.

Olsen was pleased with how the Owls responded.

"Everyone had a much better day today. We almost got third but have to settle for fourth. But the team showed a lot of fight today coming back from yesterday," said the sophomore. 

Congratulations to Coach Frisby and the team for an excellent season.

Prather Named Defensive Player of the Week

Congratulations to freshman linebacker James Prather, who was named the Commercial Appeal’s Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against East.

In the Owls’ 35-8 victory, Prather, playing significant varsity minutes for the first time, made the most of his opportunity as he recorded two interceptions and one tackle.

The first interception ended an East threat deep in MUS territory with the Owls holding a 7-0 lead. And Prather returned the second 64 yards for a touchdown to double the Owls’ lead.

To read the article in the Commercial Appeal, click here.

Golfers Look To Rebound On Day Two

After day one of the Division II-AA state golf tournament, held at the WillowBrook Golf Course in Manchester, the varsity golf team is currently tied for fifth place, twenty-seven strokes behind McCallie.

Sophomore Zachary Olsen had the squad's best round of the day, shooting 75 (+3), as he is currently tied for eleventh overall, seven strokes off the lead, held by Patrick Clossin of McCallie.

Other MUS scores include junior Daniel McLeod's 80 (+8), eighth-grader Hays Moreland's 81 (+9), senior Clifton Jordan's 82 (+10), and sophomore Jake Rudesill's 84 (+12).

The Owls are tied with defending-champion Brentwood Academy at 318 as only a team's top-four scores count. Baylor currently resides in second place at 302, eleven shots behind McCallie. Briarcrest is third (303), and Ensworth is fourth (314).

Despite the tough first day, Olsen is confident that the Owls will play better tomorrow.

"It was a really rough day for the team, but we are all looking for a really strong finish. We are going to battle tomorrow and try to bring home some hardware," said Olsen.

The Owls tee off tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. Good luck to Coach Frisby and the team.

Owls Overcome Slow Start, Win On Homecoming.

Midway through the second quarter of their Homecoming game against East, the MUS varsity football team was struggling offensively, mired in a scoreless tie, and was looking for a spark to get the team going.

Senior William Cross provided that spark.

Filling in at quarterback, Cross led the team on a 4-play, 57-yard drive that culminated in Forrest Baty’s 15-yard scoring run. Cross began the possession with a 9-yard scamper. He then completed his first two passes, both to Landon Finney, to get deep into East territory, and Baty finished off the drive with his run. Gary Wunderlich added the PAT to give MUS the 7-0 lead with 7:25 left in the second quarter, an advantage that they would never relinquish as they would go on to a 35-8 victory.

East (3-3) tried to answer the MUS score, but each time they threatened, the Owl defense held and kept the Mustangs scoreless as the score remained 7-0 at the half.

In the third quarter, the defense actually added to the advantage, thanks to a good pass rush and freshman James Prather.

Playing significant varsity minutes for the first time, Prather, who had earlier intercepted East QB Earvin Morris, recorded his second interception, this time against Nicholas King, and returned it 64 yards for the touchdown. Wunderlich’s extra-point gave MUS the 14-0 lead with 6:59 left in the third quarter.

That score seemed to garner momentum for MUS as they began playing better.

The Owls would add three more touchdowns in a 5:30 span as they opened up a commanding lead.

After having been reinserted, QB Toby Baker began to find open receivers and threw the ball well to take advantage.

First, Baker hit Finney from 43-yards out as the Owls cashed in another turnover, an interception by Henry Dickinson, to go up 21-0 with 2:02 left in the third quarter.

Following a defensive stop, the Owls scored again as Baker found Cross for a 26-yard reception that completed a 4-play, 52-yard scoring drive that amassed only 37 seconds. 

And Baker’s third scoring toss came early in the fourth quarter as he found Cross again, who outran his pursuers to score from 60-yards out as the Owls went up, 35-0, with 8:32 left in the game.

From here, with a running clock, East finally scored as Brian Kimbrow, one of the leaders rushers in the county who had been held to only 39 yards up to this point, broke off a long run as he raced 75 yards for a touchdown with 7:13 left in the game. The Mustangs converted the two-point conversion, but East could get no closer as MUS ran out the clock. The Owls improve to 4-2.

After the slow start, the Owl offense finally found some success passing as they gained 170 yards through the air in the second half to break open a close game. Five turnovers also helped as the defense kept the potent Mustangs scoreless until the offense could get untracked. 

Next week, the Owls take on White Station, the defending 6-A state champion. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. at Stokes Stadium.

Olsen Names Prep Player of the Week

Congratulations to sophomore Zachary Olsen, named the Commercial Appeal's Prep Player of the Week for the week of September 23, 2010. Olsen shot a 67 (-3), earning medalist honors as he helped the Owls win the regional golf tournament at Quail Ridge. To read the article, click here.

Owls' Comeback Falls Just Short

Despite an explosive comeback to give itself a chance to win, the MUS varsity football team came up just short as they fell to powerful Olive Branch, 25-22, to fall to 3-2 on the season.

The Conquistadors (2-2) jumped out to a 25-0 lead by the third quarter as they took advantage of two MUS turnovers and controlled the line of scrimmage.

Olive Branch began the game with an impressive drive as they used thirteen plays, all runs, to go 67 yards for a touchdown as Jalen Miller went in from one-yard out for the score. A missed PAT kept the score at 6-0 following the 6:40 drive.

QB Todd Mays added a second touchdown on the Conquistadors’ second possession as he went in from 19-yards out to complete the 6-play, 60-yard drive. The Owls turned back a two-point conversion attempt to hold the score at 12-0 going into the second quarter.

The MUS offense began to get untracked in the second stanza, but miscues would ultimately stymie their success. Two turnovers, both in Olive Branch territory, turned back promising drives as the Owls failed to score in the second quarter.

And the Conquistadors ultimately took advantage as on the final play of the first half, Mays found De’Arthur Cowan from 39-yards out on 4th-and-14 for the touchdown reception. John Pittman’s kick gave OB the 19-0 halftime lead.

Olive Branch continued their offensive success in the second half as on their first drive of the third quarter, they scored a fourth touchdown as Mays went in from 3-yards out for the score. The drive consumed 5:04 as OB used 9 plays to go 66 yards. A bad snap prevented the visitors from adding the PAT, so the score remained at 25-0 with 4:55 left in the third quarter.

But just when the Owls might have quit, they came back and gave themselves a chance to win in the end.

First, QB Toby Baker completed a 13-play, 80-yard drive with a 1-yard keeper for the score. Gary Wunderlich’s PAT closed the gap to 25-7 with 59 seconds left in the quarter. The big play of the possession was a pitch Baker made to William Cross. After having picked up one yard around the right end, Baker pitched to Cross, who scampered an additional 19 yards to get to the OB 32-yard line. The Owls completed the drive seven plays later to begin to build some momentum. 

MUS looked as if they were in excellent position to score again early in the fourth quarter as they threatened inside the Conquistador 5-yard line, yet a fumble on the 1-yard line ended that drive.

However, the Owl defense, which had been controlled by the physical OB front for much of the game, began to make some plays as they started to stop OB and give the offense additional opportunities.

And the Owls finally began to take advantage.

First, following a defensive stop, Forrest Baty fielded the Pittman punt, slipped several tackles, and went into the endzone from 40-yards out for the score. Wunderlich’s extra-point brought the Owls within 11 at 25-14 with 5:35 left in the game.

Then, after having recovered an onside kick, MUS scored again as Baker sneaked in from 1-yard out to complete the 6-play, 49-yard drive that amassed 1:11. Baker found Baty in the flat for the two-point conversion as well as the Owls now trailed just 25-22 with 4:24 left.

The defense did their part on the next possession as they stopped OB, and after a punt, MUS started on their own 20-yard line with 3:01 left in the game.

Baker hit 5 of his next 7 passes to advance MUS quickly into Olive Branch territory as he used the clock well. The big play in that sequence was a 29-yard pass to Fernando Van Hook to get the ball to the OB 39. Another pass to Van Hook got the Owls to the Conquistador 10-yard line with under a minute to go.

But Baker missed his next two passes to bring up 4th-and-6 with 26 seconds to go. Electing to go for the win, the Owls attempted to find Cross in the endzone, but a good defensive play prevented the score as the Conquistadors held on.

Despite the loss, the fact that MUS came back from 25-points down and gave itself a chance to win in the end was encouraging and showed that they could play with one of the best teams in the area.

Next week is Homecoming at MUS as the Owls take on East. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. at Stokes Stadium.

Owls Bounce Back To Defeat Overton

Despite being outgained in total offense, 370-281, the MUS varsity football team made the most of their yards as they took advantage of three turnovers to put away an athletic Overton squad, 41-21, last Friday night at home.

Looking to overcome the drubbing they endured last week to South Panola (MS), the Owls (3-1) jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead and continued to increase that advantage throughout much of the evening.

Freshman kicker Gary Wunderlich attempted his first field goal of the season on the Owls’ first drive as MUS failed to convert a 3rd-and-5 at the Overton 7-yard line.  Wunderlich’s 27-yard kick was true and gave the hosts the early 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

MUS added two second-quarter touchdowns to build their lead. First, QB Toby Baker connected with William Cross for a 14-yard scoring toss to complete a 6-play, 39-yard drive that amassed 2:09. Then, with under a minute to go before the half, Forrest Baty culminated an 8-play, 43-yard drive with an impressive 8-yard run. Wunderlich’s extra-points increased the lead to 17 at the break.

Fernando Van Hook added his own scoring run on the first possession of the second half as he went in from 19-yards out to give MUS the 24-0 lead. The possession lasted only four plays as the offensive line began to control the line of scrimmage and open up big holes for the Owl backs.

However, Overton (1-2) did not quit as they scored on the succeeding possession. On the 16th play of the drive, Isaiah Farris hauled in a 13-yard pass from Adrian Fox for the score. Andres Juarez’s PAT cut the advantage to 24-7 with 4:14 remaining in the third quarter.

But the Owls quickly quelled the Wolverine optimism as on the ensuing kickoff, Baty broke several tackles, got some good blocks, and raced 79 yards for the touchdown. And just 1:43 later, following an Overton fumble, Wunderlich added his second field goal as he connected from 33-yards out to give the hosts a 34-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Overton again showed they could move the ball in the last quarter as they put together two long drives. First, Farris scored from 3-yards out to complete a 9-play, 70-yard drive to close the gap to 34-14.

However, the Owls again answered as Van Hook scored his second touchdown of the game, this time from 13-yards out, to culminate the 71-yard, 4-play possession with 9:22 left in the game.

But the Wolverines ended the scoring with a final long drive as Fox scored from 1-yard out to complete a 17-play, 83-yard drive, yet the deficit was too large to overcome for the visitors on this night.

Statistically, Overton held advantages in first downs (22-16), passing yards (214-66), total yards, and time of possession (33:52-14:08), yet the Owls were +3 in turnover margin and controlled the game on the ground as they moved past last-week’s loss.

Next week, MUS’ second Mississippi opponent will visit Hull-Dobbs as Olive Branch comes north. The Conquistadors, 46-14 losers last week to Brentwood Academy, will look to avenge last-year’s 20-15 loss to the Owls. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

South Panola Ends Owls' Streak

Playing against one of the top high-school teams in the nation, the MUS varsity football team knew that they would have to play a perfect game to have a chance in the end. Unfortunately for the Owls, the opponent, the South Panola (MS) Tigers, ended all hope for the upset by the half as the Tigers manhandled MUS and cruised to a 39-2 victory. The loss, before one of the largest crowds in Hull-Dobbs history, ended the program’s twenty-eight-game winning streak and moved the Owls to 2-1 on the year. South Panola improved to 3-0, all impressive road victories.

South Panola jumped on the hosts early as Nicklos Brassell, one of the top senior recruits in Mississippi, ran away from Owl defenders on the fifth play of the game and scored on a 56-yard run. Qyendairs Griffin’s run added the two-point conversion as the visitors led, 8-0, just 1:44 into the contest. 

The Tiger defense looked just as formidable on the Owls’ first possession as they forced a punt following three plays that lost four yards.

MUS finally got some momentum following Toby Baker’s 41-yard punt.

After a offensive-holding penalty and a 1-yard loss, center Austin Douglas snapped the ball over Griffin’s head and into the MUS endzone. Griffin alertly swatted the ball out of the endzone, giving the Owls a safety that cut the Tiger lead to 8-2.

But that safety marked the end of the Owls’ scoring. Following the kickoff after the safety, MUS did earn one first down on a Baker-to-William Cross 22-yard reception that got the hosts into South-Panola territory. But on third down, Baker was intercepted at the Tiger 32-yard line, and MUS never entered South-Panola territory again.

The Tigers put the game away in the second quarter as they scored four touchdowns in an 8 1/2-minute span. Griffin added three scoring runs (93, 8, 31), and Marcus Henry hauled in a 12-yard pass from Kendrick Market as South Panola led, 36-2, at the break.

At the half, the Tiger dominance showed on the stat sheet as they had accumulated 407 total yards, including 323 rushing yards. And they held the potent MUS offense to only 51 total yards, including -5 yards rushing.  Griffin, who had scored six touchdowns the previous week, had 193 rushing yards on only 14 carries with the three scoring runs.

South Panola added a 26-yard field goal on their first possession of the second half to go up, 39-2, with 5:15 left in the third quarter. Because of the 37-point deficit, the clock ran for the rest of the game and shortened the contest. Neither team could sustain any drives for the remainder of the game as the Tigers avenged last-season’s home loss to MUS.

The Owls never got anything going offensively as they were controlled by the athletic, talented Tigers, and the physical Panola running game found holes in the MUS defensive front. The MUS coaching staff knew the the team would have to execute perfectly offensively and get several turnovers from its defense to have a chance, but South Panola played very well from the outset as they evened the series with MUS to 1-1.

Next week, MUS takes on Memphis Overton at Stokes Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. as the Owls look to start another winning streak.