Matt Krutowskis (center) of Marysville looks to escape from a pair of Dublin Jerome tacklers. The Monarchs snapped their losing skid with a 34-27 victory.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson)
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Marysville jumped out to a 14-0 lead last week, only to watch it slip away late in the game on deep pass.
After jumping out to another two-score advantage against Dublin Jerome on Friday, the Monarchs were determined not to let history repeat itself.
The Marysville gridders fended off a late charge by the Celtics, coming up with a defensive stop and holding on for a 34-27 win.
“I told them ‘last week at this time we felt really bad and this week you got a stop, so now you’ve done both – which one feels better,” MHS coach Brent Johnson said.
The win raised Marysville’s season record to 3-4 and snapped a three-game losing streak that had the Monarchs struggling to find their footing.
“I know we’ve been met with a lot of adversity and we stayed true to our process,” Johnson said. “It’s a confidence thing, that’s been rattled a little bit – there’s a really good team in there.”
Marysville brutalized the Celtics on the ground, picking up 379 yards. Marysville’s offensive line manhandled Jerome’s defensive front.
“I liked our physicality and that’s what won us the game,” Johnson said.
Marysville’s success on the ground was spread around with one familiar wrecking ball and a trio of other runners not known to shine on the stat sheet.
Senior Matt Krutowskis returned to form, gaining 136 yards on 15 carries and scoring twice.
Marysville’s pair of sophomore backs saw their first extended action in the back field last week, but looked like different players Friday night.
Corbin Wallace and J.J. Henry ran tentatively against Hilliard Darby, but looked seasoned against the Celtics, fighting for tough yards and running with confidence.
Wallace hit triple digits in yards, picking up 108 on 23 carries and adding a pair of scores.
Henry also had a solid 33 yards on seven totes.
The Monarchs nearly had a third member of the 100-yard club, as the result of a new offensive philosophy.
Marysville quarterback Brevin Bourquin was turned loose on the ground with designed runs and the results were immediate.
If you wondered how long it takes Bourquin to run 80 yards in football gear, the answer is 12 seconds.
After the opening kickoff sailed into the end zone, the MHS signal-caller took a designed sweep to the right, folded in behind a wave of blockers and shot up the sidelines for a touchdown.
The point after gave Marysville a 7-0 lead with 11:48 left in the first quarter.
The Monarchs scooped up a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and stretched their advantage.
They made quick work of the 31 yards they needed as Wallace capped the short drive with a six-yard run up the middle.
The PAT put Marysville up 14-0 barely three minutes into the game.
The Celtics answered on the mighty foot of one of their best weapons, kicker/punter Carter Holden who is getting courted by Ohio State.
The 23-yard field goal he hit in the first quarter was dwarfed by a 43-yarder in the final period that hit the upright halfway up the pole and bounced through.
He also averaged 53 yards on his punts and put every kickoff into the end zone, save for two he intentionally left short.
“Their kicker was phenomenal,” Johnson said.
Holden’s first field goal put the score at 14-3 with 4:15 left in the first half.
The Celtics sliced the MHS lead on a 37-yard scoring strike from Kyle White to Matty Giannantonio. That score reduced the Monarchs’ advantage to 14-10 early in the second period.
The local squad responded.
Marysville went on an 80-yard drive that saw Krutowskis hit paydirt on a gritty 26-yard run up the left sidelines. The extra point made the score 21-10 where it would stay until the half.
Jerome got the ball to open the second half and kept the heat on the Monarchs.
The Celtics moved down the field on a series of short passes, with White hitting Aiden Lowery for a five-yard TD that put the score at 21-17. That would be the only points in the third period.
The Monarchs went on a long march late in the stanza that chewed more than five minutes off the third period clock and picked up more time in the fourth.
Wallace capped the 77-yard march with a one-yard plunge and the extra point gave Marysville a 28-17 lead with 10:48 left in the game.
Jerome’s Braden Alford ripped off a big return on the kickoff and went down to the Monarch 31.
The Celtics, though, had to settle for Holden’s 43-yard field goal to put the score at 28-20 with 10:17 on the timer.
Jerome recovered an onsides kick on the next play, but the officials ruled the ball was touched before it went 10 yards, giving the ball to the Monarchs the ball in good field position.
Marysville steadily pushed the Jerome defense back the short runs until Krutowskis plunged in from a yard out for a touchdown.
The PAT was low and blocked, putting the score at 34-20 with seven minutes left.
Dublin quickly answered with an efficient drive capped by White’s second scoring strike to Giannantonio on a 15-yard jump ball. The extra point made the score 34-27 with 5:36 left.
Marysville got conservative on offense, but moved the chains enough times to force Jerome to burn all of its timeouts.
Bourquin dealt a big blow to the Celtic effort, converting on another designed run to move the chains on third-and-six.
Jerome was unable to stop the clock at the three-minute mark.
Marysville eventually punted the ball away with a minute and a half left in the game.
Punter Vanyn Fultz did a nice job snagging a very high snap and getting a kick away that died at the 16.
From there, Marysville swatted away four Dublin passes to secure the victory.
“We’re finding our way,” Johnson said. “I’m happy for them. They needed that one.”
Marysville will travel to Thomas Worthington on Friday.