Monarch senior Colton Powers (36) stands in the end zone after scoring one of his six touchdowns against Dublin Jerome. The six TDs set a new MHS single-game record. Nathan Potter (73) of Marysville is pictured in the background as the team begins its celebration. MHS pounded state-ranked Dublin Jerome 49-28.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson)
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When his name was not read as Homecoming king, it marked the only time Colton Powers was denied Friday night.
Powers set a Marysville record with six touchdowns as the Monarchs smashed state-ranked Dublin Jerome 49-28 in front of a packed house. The Celtics were 6-0 going into the game and the top ranked team in Marysville’s region of Division I.
Powers’ six scores claimed the TD crown from a pair of former MHS gridders who reached the end zone five times. According to Marysville football historian Tim Davidson, the previous record was shared by Kody Davisson in 2011 and Robert Ruprecht in 1930.
Powers picked up 175 yards on the ground and also tipped a pass which turned into an interception.
The offensive fireworks didn’t stop with Powers. As a team, the Monarchs amassed 512 yards on the night, 420 of them coming on the ground.
Griffin Johnson tallied 125 yards in 16 carries and added 92 yards and touchdown on three receptions. Nascere Smith added 78 yards on nine carries and QB Brady Seger chipped in with 37 yards on six carries to go with his 3-for-4 passing performance.
From the opening gun, the Monarchs did not play like they were facing the fifth-ranked team in the state. They played with the confidence of a team ready to throw out the records.
“We practiced that way,” MHS coach Brent Johnson said. “It was a good week of practice.”
The confidence the Monarchs played with could be summed up in two plays.
High school athletes often want to go for it on fourth down and short, regardless of field position or situation. Coaches are generally more cautious, calming the athletes’ bravado and opting for the safe move.
But not Friday night.
Johnson kept his offense on the field on three risky fourth down tries, one in the first quarter at the Marysville 47, one with the game tied in the second quarter near midfield and one in the third quarter at his own 44.
The Monarchs converted on all three opportunities, rewarding Johnson’s confidence in them by scoring on two of the three drives. Marysville only punted once.
“You know that’s a feel thing for me,” Johnson said. “You’ve seen me for six years. I punt a lot.
“I just felt like, we were kind of winning the line of scrimmage and I said ‘the heck with it – let’s do it.’ 6-0 vs. 4-2, we’ve got to take some chances.”
The Celtics had their own measure of success through the air. QB Zakk Tschirhart completed 22-of-34 passes for 362 yards and four touchdowns. Jerome was forced to rely on the passing game as MHS bottled up the Celtic ground attack to the tune of 64 yards.
The Monarchs took the opening kickoff and marched down the field, getting on the board with a nine-yard Powers run. Xavier Heller hit his first of five PATs for a 7-0 Monarch margin with 8:51 left in the first quarter.
Jerome tied the score early in the second quarter when Tschirhart launched a 69-yard scoring strike.
The Monarchs responded with a 45-yard Seger to Johnson TD hookup to put the Monarchs back up 14-7 at the eight minute mark of the second quarter.
The Monarchs pushed their advantage to 21-7 later in the quarter on a 19-yard burst up the middle by Powers with just over two minutes left until the half.
That, however, was enough time for the Celtic air attack to move down the field. Tschirhart hit Marek Tzagournis for his second TD, this time an eight-yarder with 34 seconds left in the half to make the score 21-14.
Jerome opened the second half with the ball, looking to tie the game.
Powers, though, tipped a pass into the waiting arms of teammate Trace Heminger to give the Monarchs the ball at their own 41.
The MHS offense continued to pour it on. Powers went in easily from 24 yards out, but the PAT was blocked, putting the Monarch lead at 27-14 with 8:16 left in the third.
Following a Jerome punt, the Monarchs pushed their lead to three scores.
Johnson hauled in a Seger pass and ran 44 yards before being ruled out at the two.
Powers cleaned up the rest on the next play before Seger hit Johnson on a pass to convert the two-point try.
The Monarchs led 25-14 with 1:28 left in the third quarter.
Jerome scored early in the final quarter on nine-yard pass from Tschirhart to Aiden Lowry, but the Monarchs answered.
Johnson ripped off a 39-yard run to put the ball at the 20. It took Powers three tries to pound it in from there. The last tote came from two yards out to make the score 42-12 with nine minutes left.
Jerome moved back down the field, but ran four minutes off the clock before Tschirhart hit Lowry for another score from five yards out to make the score 42-28.
The Celtics tried a pooched onside kick, but the Monarchs were ready and marched again, chewing four minutes off the clock.
The series resulted in Powers’ sixth TD, this time from one yard out to close the scoring.
The 5-2 Monarchs will host Thomas Worthington on Friday.