By Derek Spellman
dspellman@joplinglobe.com
Led by a pair of seniors who found a way to shred the Warriors’ defense in the second half, Afton opened its season with a 27-14 win over McAuley Catholic on Friday night.
The Eagles’ offense was fueled by strong performances from senior tight end Shawn Free and senior running back T.J. Korb. Free scored three touchdowns and amassed 144 yards rushing on eight carries, along with 17 yards receiving on three catches. Korb finished with one touchdown, 104 yards rushing on 20 carries, and 22 yards on two receptions.
The Warriors finished with 227 yards passing and 67 yards rushing.
The Warriors had built an 8-6 lead after a first half marked by missed opportunities, but the Afton running game reasserted itself in the second and McAuley was unable to counter.
“We are struggling to stop the run,” Warriors coach Brendan Gubera said after his team lost its home opener at Missouri Southern’s Hughes Stadium in Joplin.
“We have got to learn to play 48 minutes of football,” he later said. “We got outscored 14-0 in the third quarter. That was the difference in the game.”
The two teams had actually been scoreless until late in the first quarter.
Facing third and five at their own seven just before the two-minute mark, Free burst through the McAuley defense en route to a 93-yard touchdown run to put the Eagles ahead 6-0. The subsequent extra point sailed wide.
Neither side could make inroads until about eight minutes into the second quarter, when McAuley’s senior defensive lineman Anthony Estrada recovered an Eagles fumble and the Warriors took over at the Afton 48.
Almost six plays later, McAuley faced fourth and 10 at the Afton 15-yard line. Junior quarterback Austin Metts connected with senior wide receiver Rocky Spry on a 14-yard pass. Metts finished the game with 227 yards passing.
Senior running back Brant Russell finished the drive when he lunged into the end zone with 11 seconds left to knot the score at 6. Junior wide receiver Sam Maher completed the two-point conversion to put McAuley ahead.
The Eagles dominated in a decisive third quarter.
McAuley punted on its first possession of the second half, and the Eagles took over at their own 21-yard-line at 10:15.
More than five minutes and a dozen plays later, led by a string of grinding runs by Free, the Eagles jumped ahead 12-8 after Free scored on a one-yard touchdown run.
The Eagles retained possession after capturing an on-side kick and take over at the McAuley 46. Led by another series of runs by Free and Korp, the Eagles drived to the Warriors’ 3 yard line. Free added another touchdown run at 0:51, and the Eagles made the two-point conversion to pull ahead 20-8.
Korb added his score at 9:41 of the fourth quarter with a 47-yard run. Magnum Mustain kicked the extra point to make it 27-8.
The two teams kept trading possessions until 3:47 in the fourth. McAuley mounted a seven-play drive that culminated in a 30-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Kevin O’Keefe at 2:39. The Warriors failed on the two-point conversion, and got no closer.
“(In the) second half we decided to buck up and accept the challenge,” Eagles Coach Zach Gardner said after the game.
Gardner noted the team’s penalties and turnovers, including two interceptions and three fumbles, as he looked ahead in the season.
“We’ve still got a lot of things to iron out,” he said.
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