Marysville’s Deven Slabaugh (35) picks up yardage against Delaware Hayes Friday evening. Slabaugh rushed for 119 yards during the Monarchs’ 35-0 victory.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson)
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There are two ways a team can respond after a gut-stomping, overtime loss.
One way is to hang your head, curl up in a ball and take a whipping.
The other way is to grab the switch.
Marysville rebounded from a season-opening loss to Jonathan Alder by giving Delaware Hayes an absolute spanking Friday night. The Monarchs ran for 339 yards en route to the 35-0 drubbing.
MHS coach Brent Johnson said his team had an outstanding week of practice, but the coaching staff really wasn’t worried about a loss of effort. He said the team came into Saturday morning’s film session bristling with energy – almost “antsy.”
“Almost like they wanted to go out and play again,” Johnson said.
And Marysville didn’t disappoint, as it continued to get even more offensive weapons into the act. In the opening week, other ball carriers took some of the load off returning 1,000-yard runner Thomas Rush.
Friday night, seven different Monarchs toted the pigskin in the first half alone. Four different Monarchs got into the scoring column.
Devin Slabaugh punished the Pacer defense with his bruising running style, picking up 119 yards on just 10 carries. Rush and Jared Braun chipped in 73 and 72 yards respectively.
“There is no ‘me’ in this team right now,” Johnson said. “And that is fun, man.”
The Monarchs also won the passing battle – such as it was. The Monarchs completed 1-of-3 passes for 10 yards, while the Pacers completed 1-of-2 passes for five yards.
The Pacers used a pair of quarterbacks on the night, but Johnson said another signal caller who played in the season opener did not play and may have been injured. The Monarchs gave very little regard to the threat of the Pacer passing game by creeping to the line of scrimmage.
Even when Delaware lined up with an empty backfield, MHS coaches shouted for their defenders to key on a jet sweep or QB keeper.
Johnson said knowing the tendencies of the opposing offense is the duty of his coaching staff. Those trends are found by breaking down film of the opponent.
“That’s what weekends are for,” he said.
The Pacers opened the game by pushing into Monarch territory. However, they turned the ball over when a fourth-and-five play was snuffed by the MHS defense at the Monarch 30.
Slabaugh pounded the rock into the heart of the Delaware defense and ripped off a 43-yard gain to put the ball deep in one-yard-line. One play later, Heard called his own number for the first score of the night.
Thomas Wolfe hit the point after to give Marysville a 7-0 lead with 4:37 left in the first quarter. Wolfe would be perfect for the night on extra points.
The Monarchs would score again just before the end of the quarter, when Braun went on a sweep and danced up the opposing sidelines on his way to an 18-yard score and a 14-0 advantage.
The Pacers’ only scoring threat of the night came on the first drive of the second quarter. However, a 24-yard field goal attempt by Zach Ruen missed the mark.
The Monarchs would strike again shortly before the intermission. Braun ripped off a 20-yard run and set up Heard to get his second TD of the night, this time a 20-yarder around the left end for a 21-0 MHS halftime lead.
The Monarchs would score again on the first two possessions of the second half. They pounded out a 78-yard, six-minute drive to open the half. Tayden Jackson capped the march, scoring from a yard out on a counter.
The Monarchs were forced to punt on their second possession, but the Pacer returner muffed the kick. The Monarchs recovered at the 16-yard-line with 22 seconds left in the third quarter.
That would prove to be more than enough time to score, as Rush went off tackle on the left side and found a hole you could have landed a blimp in. He trotted in for the score and Wolfe’s fifth PAT closed out the scoring at 35-0 as the game entered the fourth quarter.
The final period breezed by as the point differential triggered the running clock mercy rule, and the Monarchs filtered second teamers into the game.
The task won’t get any easier from here as the 1-1 Monarchs will host Olentangy Liberty on Friday.