MHS opens region play on high note

Published 11:51 pm Friday, September 7, 2018

The Red Devil faithful were treated to a one-sided affair, as Maplesville opened region play with a 70-6 victory against A.L. Johnson on Sept. 7.

Ten touchdowns were scored by the Red Devils (2-0, 1-0), who controlled the game from the opening kickoff, which Christin Brown returned 58 yards to set up a 14-yard touchdown by Ryan Morrow shortly after.

To say that Morrow made the most of his carries would be an understatement.

He finished the night with a game-high 190 rushing yards and three scores on four carries for an average of 47.5 yards per tote.

The initial score set the tone for the game, and Maplesville continued to put points on the board at a rapid pace throughout the contest.

Jackson Abbott completed 6 of 9 passes for 95 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Jakavian McKenzie and Wallace Hobbs.

Maplesville found success offensively by running wide receiver screens and getting the ball quickly to the perimeter and in the hands of playmakers.

Jakavian McKenzie of Maplesville runs after a catch. (Photo by Anthony Richards)

“We were just trying to spread them out to see if we can get some more open running lanes,” McKenzie said. “We’ve got a good connection so far [with Abbott].”

Brown was a disruptive force along the front seven and finished with one sack and two tackles for a loss as a result of the effort. He also ran for two touchdowns on offense.

Latrell Wilson, Ajala Robinson and Anthony Mitchell also joined the scoring brigade, as they each found the end zone on the ground.

The night was all about big plays for Maplesville. The Red Devils outgained A.L. Johnson (0-2, 0-1) by 285 yards and did so running 22 fewer plays.

“We just have to take it day by day, but I feel like we have a good team this year,” McKenzie said. “It feels good to have the home opener end in a “W.”

The Red Devils will look to carry the momentum from the big win as they prepare for a road test against a tough region opponent in Linden next week.