Needing to win its final regular-season contest to earn a first-round bye in the upcoming Division II-AA state playoffs, the MUS varsity football team shrugged off a sluggish start and ultimately cruised to a 45-14 victory over Briarcrest, finishing the regular season at 7-3, 2-1.
Quarterback Toby Baker had his best rushing game of his career as he tallied 146 yards on 19 carries, and he also threw for 237 yards on 19-24 passing. Altogether, Baker accounted for four touchdowns (2 rushing, 2 passing) as the Owls’ fast attack kept the Saints off-balance much of the evening.
But the Owls needed several series to get its offense going.
MUS scored once in the first quarter after having stopped Briarcrest on its second possession and taken over at its own 7-yard line. After seven plays, the Owls found themselves at the Owl 49-yard line. From there, Baker kept an option run, sprinted through several potential tacklers, and raced into the endzone for the 51-yard score. Gary Wunderlich’s PAT gave the hosts the 7-0 lead with 4:30 left in the first quarter.
But Briarcrest (8-2, 1-2) answered quickly as on its next possession, QB B.J. Nagle found versatile WR Tray Becton-Martin across the middle from 35-yards out for the tying touchdown. With the Austin Benoy extra-point, BCS had tied the score just 58 seconds later.
Yet after the Saints’ score, both offenses began to stagnate. Briarcrest struggled to move the football, particularly on the ground, as the Owls’ front did well plugging running gaps. And the MUS offense had opportunities, but an inteception and fumble kept the Owls from regaining their offensive momentum created by their early touchdown.
However, late in the half, the hosts finally began to execute well and take advantage of good field position.
First, despite stalling at the BCS 13-yard line, Wunderlich added his third field goal of the season as he connected from 30-yards out to give MUS a 10-7 lead with 1:26 left in the half.
And the Owls got one more score before intermission as, after the defense had recovered a fumble at the Saints 39-yard line with 32 seconds left, Baker found Landon Finney from 32-yards out on 3rd-and-4 for the touchdown. Wunderlich’s PAT gave the hosts the 17-7 lead at the break.
In the second half, MUS seemed to control the contest and built a comfortable lead. In the third quarter, Baker added his second rushing touchdown, this time from 3-yards out, and Finney caught his second scoring pass from Baker, this one from 18-yards out, as the Owls built a 31-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
And in the final period, MUS added two more scores. First, Forrest Baty ended a 3-play, 73-yard drive with a 4-yard run with 11:33 left in the game. Then Fernando Van Hook, who had earlier hauled in a 72-yard pass, had an electrifying run as he went 88 yards for a touchdown. The run was the fifth longest run in school history.
BCS did add one final score as Nagle snuck in from 1-yard out midway through the fourth quarter, but MUS had the game in control at this point, allowing many reserves to play.
With the win, the Owls earned the 2-seed in the West Division, giving them a first-round bye next week. In two weeks, MUS will play a home game against the winner of the Pope John Paul II-Brentwood Academy first-round game. Kickoff for the November 12 contest is set for 7:00 pm.
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