Marysville’s Jeremiah McNeil (3) blocks a Hilliard Bradley punt during the third quarter Friday night. The block helped set up MHS’ first touchdown during a 17-0 victory.
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In some ways, Marysville’s 17-0 win over visiting Hilliard Bradley on Friday night was like nothing fans had ever seen before.
Because of coronavirus-related safeguards, band members played wind instruments through small slits in masks, Hilliard Bradley players spent halftime lounging in an end zone rather than going into the lockerroom and there was just a smattering of fans in attendance.
But between the lines, the game was all Monarch football. Marysville played stingy defense, allowing just 72 yards rushing and nine first downs.
Marysville pummeled the Jaguars on the ground, with leading rusher Ryan Kern scoring a touchdown and gaining nearly 100 yards despite a long run of just seven yards.
The Monarchs were also efficient on special teams, blocking one punt cleanly and appearing to get a piece of a second.
After a preseason that was anything but typical, Monarch Coach Brent Johnson said he wasn’t quite sure what his team would look like in its first game.
He was pleasantly surprised.
“I liked all sides of us tonight,” he said after the game.
Johnson was especially pleased with his defense which showed no regression in its defensive front, despite losses to graduation. Bradley’s attempts to establish a run game in the first half were swatted aside by the Monarch front and the Jags spent the second half going to the air.
“I think this is the fastest defensive front we’ve ever had,” said Johnson.
Bradley QB A.J. Mirgon was his team’s leading rusher with 72 yards, mostly because he was flushed from the pocket and used his elusiveness to pick up yardage.
Through the air, Mirgon was 13-for-27 for 139 yards.
Johnson, though, also saw positives in his team’s pass defense.
He said he felt his team tackled the Jaguar receivers quickly after receptions and only gave up one long completion, a 35-yarder, on a jump ball. His squad also held 6-, 230 pound receiver Jack Pugh to just 32 yards on four receptions.
“We ran to him,” Johnson said of his team’s gang-tackling on the big Wisconsin recruit.
Johnson said the MHS offense may have seemed a little out of sync at times, mostly because of the bodies the Jaguars were crashing into the interior gaps. Making reads and cutting into other open gaps will come with time, Johnson said.
“We never really had that ‘pop,’” Johnson said of Marysville lack of big plays. “But we moved the chains.”
The game opened with five consecutive punts in the first quarter and three more to begin the second.
On their fifth possession of the game, the Monarchs put together a drive.
They were threatening to score after Kern and Gabe Powers each picked up first downs to put the ball near the red zone.
Powers had the ball punched out of his grip and the Jaguars took over at their own 20.
Bradley seized the momentum and moved into Marysville territory.
Mirgon found Tayshaun Mayfield, who outjumped two Marysville defenders to bring the ball down at the MHS 41.
From there. the Monarch defense tightened.
They forced the Jags to try to convert on fourth-and-1.
MHS defensive lineman Benjamin Bickerstaff came up with a big sack on the play and Marysville got the ball back near midfield with just over two minutes left in the half.
Marysville drove to the Bradley nine-yard-line, but called its final timeout of the half with just eight seconds left.
Logan Hall made good on a 26-yard field goals for a 3-0 Marysville lead at the half.
MHS took control of the game almost immediately after the intermission.
Monarch Jeremiah McNeil blocked a punt on the Jaguars’ opening drive and Marysville took possession at the 26.
Logan McSwords nearly went into the end zone a few plays later, spinning free from defenders on a 22-yard run.
Kerns cleaned up the rest on a one-yard plunge.
Hall’s point after put the score at 10-0 two minutes into the second half.
Bradley tried to answer by pushing down the field through the air.
Monarch Nick Kessler, however, pounced on a fumble at the Monarch 25.
MHS returned the favor with a fumble on the next play, but Monarch Tanner Powers picked off a Mirgon pass to end the threat.
Later in the quarter, Marysville went on 72-yard march that started in the third quarter, but finish in the fourth,.
MHS QB Ethan Musel scored from a yard out to cap the drive.
Hall’s PAT closed out the scoring at 17-0 with 11:14 left in the game.
Bradley threatened late in the game by moving inside the MHS 20.
Mayfield, though, fumbled the ball and MHS’ Logan Neer recovered with 4:35 left in the game.
Marysville strung together a few more of their 19 first downs to run out the clock.
Marysville will take its 1-0 record to Hilliard Darby on Friday.