Marysville defensive back Bodie Eberhart (21) brings down Jonathan Alder quarterback J.T. Keith after short yardage Friday evening. The Monarchs clubbed the Pioneers, 35-0.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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Both coaches agreed the Jonathan Alder-Marysville football series has been big for both schools.
Both coaches also agreed it was a big win for the Monarchs, who opened the season with a 35-0 win at home on Friday.
“The kids have put it on the line for a year to get ready for this season and this game and you saw it tonight,” Monarch head coach Brent Johnson said. “That’s a big step for our program.
“For us to be able to win like that means a lot to us, a lot to us.”
Johnson wasn’t the only one who recognized what a big step the Monarchs had taken.
“Marysville is much improved,” said Alder coach Brett Glass. “Brent is doing a great job moving them in the right direction. They just kicked our butts tonight.”
The teams traded possessions early, sharing a relatively uneventful first quarter. Early in the second period, the Monarchs took possession at their own 27-yard line.
The home team moved the ball, but a pair of penalties made it look like the drive would stall. However, on third down and 11 on their own 47, quarterback Walker Heard connected with receiver Bodie Eberhart streaking alone down the home side hash marks.
Eberhart caught the ball at the 22 and sprinted the rest of the way to the end zone. Thomas Wolfe booted the extra point and the Monarchs had a 7-0 lead with 7:55 left to play in the half.
Heard would notch his second scoring strike of the season before halftime.
Following a poor punt, the Pioneers took possession on the Maryville side of the field with about two minutes remaining in the half.
On the drive’s first, and ultimately only play, the Monarch defense pressured Alder quarterback J.T. Keith. The signal caller set to throw, then ducked to avoid a defender. When he rose. he fired a quick pass into the waiting arms of Marysville linebacker Mike Powers.
Heard completed four passes on the ensuing drive, the last one being a four-yard quick hitter to Chase Kilgore, who had slipped out of the back field across the goal line.
Wolfe’s boot, with 14 seconds left in the second quarter, gave Marysville a 14-0 halftime advantage.
“We have worked really hard on our passing game and that showed up tonight,” Johnson said. “I am really proud of that. I think we were really balanced, for us.”
Heard finished the game completing nine of 12 passes for 116 yards and three scores.
While the passing game was on display in the first half, it was Marysville’s ground attack that made noise early in the second half.
On the home team’s first drive, the Monarchs ran seven times, covering all 94 yards on the ground.
Powers earned the last 37 on a counter play right.
“They were super sensitive to our motion and we wanted to take advantage of that,” Johnson said.
Powers’ touchdown and Wolfe’s extra point gave the Monarchs a 21-0 advantage midway through the third stanza.
The silver and blue entered the scoring column again in the third quarter. This time it came when Eberhart made a leaping catch in the middle of the end zone to complete an 18-yard strike on fourth down.
Monarch Ryan Kern answered the bell during the game’s final scoring drive. He rushed for 32 yards and had 11 yards receiving in the 58-yard drive.
Kern bulled his way into the end zone from four yards out and with 8:55 to play, Marysville led 35-0.
“In the second half, they just took over the game,” said Glass.
Johnson said the team’s offensive line “has really come together the last two weeks.
“That is one of the pillars of our process — being the most physical team week in and week out,” he said.
“We saw a lot of effort, they were very physical, they were hitting, they were competing play in and play out.”
Johnson said that by today, he will be looking at Delaware Hayes, which defeated Buckeye Valley 24-7 on Friday.
“We know they will be well-coached, so we know we will need to be ready,” he said.
Glass also knows his team will need to move forward.
“We have nine more games,” Glass said. “We can’t let this bleed into next week.”
The Pioneers will travel to 1-0 Marion Harding.
Glass said his team is young and it showed.
“We missed out on some plays when we had the chance early and then we let it get away from us,” he said, adding that his squad will get better.
“We just need to get better at doing what we do,” Glass said.