Full recaps of the first-round action in the Mary Hardin-Baylor bracket, plus previews and predictions for the second round games, after the jump. For team capsules, see the first round precap.
1 Mary Hardin-Baylor 34, 8 Redlands 13
at Belton High School Stadium, Belton TX; attendance 1962
The Crusaders jumped out in the second quarter, and had already put their offense to bed for the day before the defense allowed Redlands to score.
UMBH took the opening kickoff, and both teams went three-and-out. The Cru started their second drive at their own 20, and basically just shoved Darius Wilson at the Redlands defense until he finally scored on a 1-yard run after an 18-play 80-yard drive that lasted nearly seven minutes. That, in and of itself, pretty much gassed the Redlands defenders. They didn’t get much rest, because after picking up one first down on offense and penetrating into Crusader territory, Chad Hurst was picked off by Rocky Vaclavick at the UMHB 17; after a five yard return and a 10-yard holding penalty, the Cru started at their own 12. Another ridiculous drive ensued which stretched into the second quarter.
After another 18 plays, 88 yards, and again almost seven minutes, LiDarral Bailey ducked in on a keeper from four yards out to put the Cru up 14. Redlands went three-and-out, and UMHB decided to give the Redlands D a break; a 33-yard run by Damian Davis put the Cru at the Redlands 28, and then Bailey hit Elijah Hudson for a TD on the next play. Another three-and-out resulted in the Crusaders taking over at the 50; seven plays later, Chad Peevey hit a 50 yard field goal. The teams then traded punts; Redlands had nine seconds left before the end of the half and couldn’t do much with them. It was 24-0.
It quickly got worse, as Hurst was picked off on the third play of the second half. Starting from the Redlands 30, UMHB quickly moved backward; first a holding call, then a false start, and the Cru were facing 1st and 25 from the Redlands 45. No problem, said Bailey; he broke free on a keeper and ran it in for a score. Redlands got nowhere on their next possession, and a shanked punt left UMHB on the Redlands 31. Three plays, four yards, but Peevey nailed another field goal from 44. A trade of punts, and Redlands began a drive; at the end of the third UMHB was up 34-0, but Hurst had just completed a 27-yard pass to Aaron Atkins to get to the Crusader 6 yard line.
The next sequence was freakish. An incomplete pass was followed by a 2 yard gain by Bobby Brown. Another incomplete pass, but pass interference was called on the Crusaders, resulting in a first down at the 2. Then Hurst was brought down behind the line for a loss of three; two incompletions and a delay of game left them with 4th and goal from the 10, and then Hurst was picked off by Allen Dixon. UMHB got the bal back to midfield before punting and pinning Redlands at their own four. Hurst drove the Bulldogs again, this time cashing in on a 22-yard pass to Brad Crisanty, and Redlands was finally on the board. Cru backup QB Jake Sims was intercepted by Richard Dye at the Redlands goal line, returning it to the 9. The teams then traded punts, Redlands taking over at their own 15 with 1:45 to go; Hurst immediately hit Mark Richardson for an 85-yard touchdown, followed by a missed PAT. Redlands then tried an onside kick, but the Crusaders recovered and killed the clock.
Hurst was 16-35 for 244 yards, 2 TDs and 3 INTs, plus 52 yards rushing on 10 carries. Crisanty had 56 yards on 13 carries, plus the 22-yard TD reception. Mark Richardson caught 4 balls for 125 yards and a score. Almost all of this offense was in the fourth quarter, after it no longer mattered. For UMHB, Bailey was 5-10 for 59 yards and a TD in the air, and ran for 112 yards on 11 carries with two scores.
My pregame prediction: UMHB 41, Redlands 21. I’ll take it.
2 Wesley (DE) 35, 7 Hobart 28
at Scott D. Miller Stadium, Dover DE; attendance 1531
Wesley raced out to an early lead, but Hobart simply would not go away, and the game wasn’t sealed until a defensive stand with under two minutes to go.
The game started with a pair of miscues. Hobart was forced three-and-out, but a bad snap resulted in a turnover on downs at the Hobart 10 rather than a punt. On Wesley’s first play, however, Askia Jahad was hit behind the line and fumbled, giving Hobart the ball back on their own 12. Another three-and-out ensued, however, and Wesley started again at Hobart’s 41. 8 plays and four minutes later, Shane McSweeny hit Jared Morris from 8 yards out to put Wesley in the lead. Hobart began the ensuing drive at their own seven. After an incompletion, Kelly Olney found Steven Webb open for a 41-yard play. Four plays later, they were ten yards further back, and forced to punt. Wesley promptly lost six yards, then McSweeny connected with Steven Koudoussou for a 72-yard strike to put the Wolverines up 14-0.
Hobart’s drive spanned the quarter break, and lasted 13 plays and just short of six minutes. Unfortunately, it ended when Bobby Dougherty was brought down for a loss of five on 4th and goal from the Wesley 2; this turned out to be perhaps the key play of the game. It wasn’t a total loss, however; three plays later, from his own 17, McSweeny threw a pick to Nick Auriemma. Four more plays and Dougherty bulled in from a yard out to get Hobart on the board. Wesley took over on their own 35 after the kickoff; after a loss of one, McSweeney again connected on a long-gainer with Koudoussou, a 66-yard TD strike that re-established the 14-point lead. Hobart was forced to punt on their next try, but McSweeny fumbled at the 32 a few plays later. Hobart moved downfield and scored on a 1-yard Steven Webb run. No matter; McSweeny pushed the Wolverines downfield with a series of passes, then hit Matt Barile for a 42-yard score with 13 seconds left in the half. Hobart knelt after the kickoff, and Wesley took a 28-14 lead into the locker room.
A trade of punts opened the third. Wesley took over on their own 12, and moved up to the 38 before being forced to punt. John Smicklo’s kick was blocked by Drake Woodard; Devin Worthington picked it up and returned it for a score. Wesley was not about to let Hobart tie the game, however. The ensuing drive started in good field position, at the Wesley 40. They burned over seven minutes off the clock on a 13-play drive; McSweeny found Sean McAndrew for a 15-yard score. But another Wesley miscue was upcoming. Hobart’s next possession went three-and-out, but Elvin Souffrant’s punt was fumbled by Sean Hopkins, and Hobart recovered at the Wesley 16; worse, a roughing the kicker call put the ball at the 8. Two plays later, Webb ran in from a yard; the quarter ended on the ensuing kickoff, and Wesley’s lead was trimmed to seven.
Wesley got nowhere on their first possession of the fourth, forced to punt from their own 24. Hobart started at their own 35 and quickly moved downfield, reaching a 1st and goal from the 4 within three plays. Wesley held, however, taking over on downs at the 5 when Olney’s attempt to hit Junior Woodard for the tying score fell incomplete. Again, Wesley had to punt after putting some air between themselves and the goal line; Hobart started again at their own 35 with 7:11 to go in the game. Once again, they managed a 1st and goal just inside the 10, and then had 3rd and goal at the 2; Webb lost three yards on third down, and once again Olney tried to hit Woodard to no avail. With 1:38 left, Wesley was able to run out the clock and escape with the win.
Hobart’s Kelly Olney, playing in place of the injured Nick Strang, was 16-37 for 211 yards. No touchdowns, but no picks; Hobart couldn’t have asked for much more in relief. Webb had 45 yards on 11 carries and two scores, as well as 93 yards on three catches. For the Wolverines, McSweeny was 18-27 for 336 with five touchdowns and an interception, and led Wesley rushers with 61 yards on 14 carries. About half of that passing yardage was to Koudoussou, who hauled in 5 balls for 166 yards and two scores.
My pregame prediction: Wesley 31, Hobart 21. I had said that this would be a blowout if Strang wasn’t able to play. WR Yosh Karbowniczak was also out for Hobart. That the game was actually closer than my prediction is a partially a testament to Olney’s effort, and partially due to some really sloppy play by the Wolverines which they really need to get in check before next week or they’re in trouble. Hobart committed no turnovers, while Wesley committed four and had a punt blocked and returned for a score, and that’s just not going to do it against Linfield.
3 Linfield 30, 6 Cal Lutheran 23
at Maxwell Field, McMinnville OR; attendance 1552
Linfield never trailed, but were nevertheless in deep trouble several times in the fourth quarter before special teams saved the day.
Linfield was forced three-and-out after taking the opening kickoff, but the Kingsmen made a costly error when Jake Laudenslayer was picked off in CLU territory by Christian Hanna. Linfield took over at the CLU 27, but stalled in the red zone and had to settle for a 30-yard Josh Kay field goal. On the first play after the kickoff, Laudenslayer was intercepted again by Drew Fisher, giving the Wildcats the ball at the CLU 38. Again, the Kingsmen defenders held in the red zone; Kay was called on to kick a 42-yarder. CLU then mounted a long drive; they were halted short of the Linfield red zone after six minutes, but Peter Keks booted a 40-yard field goal with four seconds to go in the quarter to make it 6-3.
Linfield then drove, helped by a 25-yard jaunt by Josh Hill, before Mickey Inns found Buddy Saxon for a 13-yard TD completion. Keks missed a 45-yarder at the end of CLU’s ensuing drive, then the teams traded punts before Linfield took over at midfield. Nine plays later, Inns connected with Deidre Wiersma on an 8-yard score with 41 seconds to go. But Laudenslayer wasn’t giving up; after four plays, he hit Eric Rogers with no time left on the clock, and the teams went into the break with Linfield up 20-10.
CLU got the ball to start the second half, and Keks brought CLU within a touchdown on a 20-yard field goal after the Kingsmen failed to get in the end zone after 1st and goal from the six. Linfield went three-and-out; CLU started at the Wildcat 43, but on 4th and 4 from the 26 Laudenslayer was forced to throw to his check-down, and only gained a yard. Linfield responded with an 11-play drive that ended with a 43-yard Kay field goal to stretch the lead back to 10. The first play after the ensuing kickoff was a 47-yard strike from Laudenslayer to Frankie Jones, bringing the Kingsmen to the Wildcat 25. After five-yard run and a pass interference call moved the ball to the five, Laudenslayer scored on a keeper; Linfield’s lead was cut to a mere field goal. A good return on the kickoff and an offside penalty gave Linfield the ball on the CLU 49. Josh Hill ripped off consecutive runs of 11 and 24 yards, then caught a 14-yard pass from Inns for a touchdown. The quarter ended as CLU tried to drive, with Linfield up 30-20.
The Kingsmen were forced to punt on the second play of the final quarter, and Linfield took over on their own 17. After a rush for no gain and a false start penalty, Inns was intercepted by Justin Haulcy-Bateman, who returned the kick for a score and narrowed the lead to three. Linfield went three-and-out, and the Kingsmen pushed back into Wildcat territory. The drive stalled at the 32, and Keks was called on to make a 49-yarder to tie the game, but the kick was short. Linfield took another three minutes off the clock before having to punt again. CLU drove all the way to the Wildcat 9 yard line, and a four-yard run by Daniel Mosier would have made it first-and-goal at the five, but it was called back due to a holding penalty. Two plays later, with 33 ticks remaining, Keks lined up to again try and tie the game with a 38-yarder, but the kick was blocked. Linfield killed the clock, and survived.
Laudenslayer was 23-40 for 249 yards, with a TD and 2 INTs, and ran for 83 yards and a score. Mosier had 112 yards on 18 carries, plus six catches for 44 yards. Rogers had 82 yards on six catches. For Linfield, Inns was 17-27 for 152 yards with 3 scores and a pick. Josh Hill ran for 146 yards on 27 carries, while Josh Kay was 3-for-3 on field goal attempts.
My pregame prediction: Linfield 35, Cal Lutheran 29. I don’t really have any comment.
5 McMurry 25, 4 Trinity (TX) 16
at E.M. Stevens Field, San Antonio TX; attendance 1373
McMurry took the opening kick, but Stephen Warren (playing for the injured Jake Mullin) was picked off by Chris Hobbs near midfield, and the Tigers took over on their own 46. On third down, Nyk McKissic and Riley Walker hooked up for a 40-yard gain to the McMurry 12; three plays later, McKissic found Matt Kennemer for an 8-yard TD strike. McMurry responded, however, with an 8-play 59-yard drive, culminating in a 1-yard keeper by Warren to tie the score 7-7. The teams traded punts, and Trinity was on the move as the first quarter expired.
Trinity moved into the red zone, but had to settle for a 37-yard Garrett Biel field goal try, which was wide left. Again the teams traded punts; McMurry started from their own 12, and burned five and a half minutes before turning the ball over on downs at the Trinity 1-yard line. Trinity went three-and-out, and then facing 2nd and 15 from the Trinity 49, Warren tried to go deep. The ball was picked off by Tyler Barrett at the 19, and returned to the 30. Three plays later, though, McKissic gave the ball right back, intercepted near midfield by Will Morris. McMurry burned most of the rest of the half before turning the ball over on downs at the Trinity 34; Trinity took a knee, and the teams left the field tied at 7-7.
McKissic was picked off by Kerry Gamble on the very first play of the second half, giving McMurry possession at the Tiger 16. They could not gain a first down, so settled for a 27-yard Jesse Garcia field goal and the lead. Trinity was forced to punt on their next possession. Kevin Stewart blocked Kyle Trella’s punt, but Jimmy Terrell fumbled the return through the end zone, giving Trinity the ball back at the 20. However, McKissic was intercepted again, this time by D.J. Baiza, and McMurry started again at the Tiger 31. Eight plays later, Warren lobbed a pass to Delfonte Diamond, and then Warren ran in the two-point conversion. The teams traded punts then, with Trinity taking over at their own 31. A seven play drive ended with a 38-yard Biel field goal, and the third quarter ended with McMurry up 18-10.
The Warhawks were forced three-and-out, and Trinity drove into enemy territory. Halted at the 36, Biel attempted a 54-yard field goal, which was short. On the next play, Warren completed a short pass to Simeon Neal, who was stripped; Antonio DeBouse returned the fumble 37 yards for a score. McKissic attempted to pass for the two-point conversion and the tie, but was unsuccessful. McMurry fiddled around for seven plays before punting, then forced a three-and-out. Trella’s punt was caught by Baiza at the McMurry 48; a few seconds later Baiza was in the end zone, and McMurry had a 25-16 lead. John Jackson fumbled the ensuing kickoff, which was recovered by John Keith at the Trinity 32. On 3rd and 13, Warren was sacked and fumbled; McKissic was intercepted on the next play, with the net result of the traded turnovers being McMurry ball on their own 18. The Warhawks took about half the remaining 3:15 off the clock before being forced to punt, but the defense held on Trinity’s final possession.
Warren was 17-34 for 188 yards, with a TD and 2 INT. Justin Johnson led McMurry runners with 76 yards on 24 carries, while Simeon Neal had five catches for 99 yards. For Trinity, McKissic was 15-36 for 260 yards with a touchdown and four picks, plus 43 yards on 10 carries to lead all Tiger rushers. Hagen Kattner led Trinity’s receivers with five catches for 95 yards.
My pregame prediction: McMurry 31, Trinity 24, except I qualified it by saying that if Mullin didn’t play, Trinity 27-24. Maybe I should have just stopped with the original pick. But the general idea of my projection was accurate; this was never going to be a high-scoring game for McMurry, and it was essentially going to be within a score.
Next up:
3 Linfield (10-0) at 2 Wesley (DE) (10-1)
Scott D. Miller Stadium, Dover DE, 12pm ET
Video available via UStream. Audio available via Stretch Internet and WDEL. Live Stats available via Presto Sports.
Series: first meeting.
Jon’s Prediction:
Wesley 30, Linfield 27. These teams really are about dead even; only the home field advantage for Wesley and the long trip for Linfield separate them in my mind. One big difference is that both teams are great against the run and good against the pass, while offensively Wesley is very dependent on the run whereas Linfield isn’t quite so much. That’s a slight point in Linfield’s favor here, and something to watch.
5 McMurry (9-2) at 1 Mary Hardin-Baylor (11-0)
Belton High School Stadium, Belton TX, 1pm ET
Video and Live Stats available via Stretch Internet. No audio-only feed available as yet.
Series: Mary Hardin-Baylor leads 11-2 (last: UMHB 28-27 on 9/17/2011 at UMHB)
Jon’s Prediction:
Mary Hardin-Baylor 35, McMurry 31. This is going to be another great game, with the 28-27 win earlier in the year as a guidepost. I’m still concerned about Mullin’s absence, however, so don’t be surprised if the margin here is greater than I’m predicting.