Jayden Simmons of MHS leaps for additional yardage at Westland on Friday. The Monarchs are now 4-3 after their 36-12 victory.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson)
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Sometimes when a team comes off of an emotional game, it can experience a lag in the next contest. When that happens, it can take a jolt to get the old engine running right again.
After a hard-fought overtime loss to unbeaten Dublin Coffman last Saturday, Marysville was in cruise control Friday against overmatched Westland.
The Monarchs scored in each of the first two quarters, but couldn’t really generate enough offense to put away the Cougars.
But with less than a minute left in the third quarter, the Cougars turned an interception into six points and made it a one-score game heading into the fourth quarter.
That woke up the Monarchs.
Marysville pumped out 22 points in the final quarter, with two touchdowns coming over a five-play span to cruise to a 36-12 win at Westland.
Asked if letdowns can happen after big games like the Coffman, MHS coach Brent Johnson could only shake his head and say, “It’s real. It is real.”
Johnson, however, also credited the way his team still pulled out a dominant win.
“These kids have been so resilient all year,” he said. “That was a big game for us.”
After hammering the inside run game against Coffman, the Monarchs found the going a little more difficult against Westland. The MHS ball carriers found yards hard to come by between the tackles. Fortunately, Marysville was able to dust off the old jet sweep, seal the edge and attack at the sidelines. Bodie Eberhart was the primary weapon at the corner, picking up 111 yards on just six carries.
The MHS ground game rolled to more than 300 yards on the night as Eberhart and Mike Powers each ran in a touchdown and Ryan Kern picked up two. Eberhart also collected a receiving touchdown.
On its second possession of the game, Marysville cracked the end zone when QB Walker Heard hit Eberhart wide open down the middle for a 40-yard score.
Eberhart appeared to have a second TD later in the quarter on a 35-yard fake punt. However, the play was called back on a block in the back.
Marysville pushed inside the 10-yard line early in the second quarter, but a fumble at the 8 gave the ball back to the Cougars.
Eberhard again found the end zone later in the second stanza, rolling around the left side and waiting for his blockers to set up. He then exploded for a 58-yard touchdown with 3:44 to play until the half.
That’s the way the scoring stayed until the last seconds of the third period. The Monarchs drove deep into Cougar territory at the midway point of the third, but a holding call stalled the drive.
MHS kicker Thomas Wolfe tried a 42-yard field goal and had plenty of leg. The offering, though, sailed just wide.
Then with 50 seconds left in the third period, Heard dropped back to pass. He floated one over his receiver and into the waiting arms of Westland’s Kyle Bowles, who returned the ball 36 yards for a TD. A bad snap on the PAT left the score at 14-6 as the game moved into the fourth quarter.
That’s when Marysville decided to put its foot down on Westland’s throat.
On the ensuring drive, Eberhart ripped off runs of 16 and 24 yards to help put Marysville at the 15.
A few plays later, Powers went in from two yards out. The extra point put the score at 21-6 with 9:43 left in the game.
Following the kickoff, Powers intercepted a screen pass on the first play of the drive to give the Monarchs the ball at the 20.
Jayden Simmons ran for 17 and Kern followed with the final three for the touchdown. The Cougars were offside on the PAT.
Johnson decided to go for two. He called Heard’s number up the middle and the QB easily crossed the line.
From there, it was a cakewalk as the Cougars scored a TD on a 20-yard pass.
Kerns, though, answered with his second touchdown of the game on a seven-yard run to close out the scoring.
The Monarchs, now 4-3, will host Upper Arlington for Homecoming on Friday.