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Bulldogs tame Cougars in 43-6 homecoming victory

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Wyatt Powell recorded five tackles in the Sept. 24 game. The Bulldogs held the Cougars to just 185 yards of total offense. (Photos by Audrey Posten)

Fullback Gabe McGeough earned a career-high 285 rushing yards, along with two touchdowns, in MFL MarMac’s 43-6 win over Sumner-Fredericksburg.

Brandon Christofferson (left) pulls the ball away from a Cougar defender to secure one of his two catches.

Cullen McShane prepares to pounce on a Sumner-Fred runner.

Bryce Radloff, shown here getting a block from Chauncy Drahn, scored one touchdown in the Bulldog victory.

Linemen Corbin McElwaine and Bryce Diehl protect Bulldog quarterback Carver Blietz-Bentien as he makes a throw.

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

 

The MFL MarMac football team improved to 4-1 on Sept. 24, with a resounding 43-6 homecoming victory over Sumner-Fredericksburg.

 

After a narrow loss to Columbus Catholic the week prior, head coach Dan Anderson said he and his staff challenged the players.

 

“Monday’s practice was all fundamentals—blocking, blocking, blocking. Last week, we didn’t block well. We got that figured out, for the most part,” he said.

 

Anderson was especially impressed with the Bulldogs’ defensive effort, which held the Cougars to just 185 yards of total offense.

 

That success started early when, on only the second play of the game, Cullen McShane recovered a Sumner-Fred fumble and took it five yards to the end zone. The extra point by Jonah Wille—one of three successful attempts in the game—gave MFL MarMac a 7-0 lead. A Gabe McGeough touchdown later in the first quarter increased that advantage to 13-0.

 

The Cougars trimmed the score to 13-6 with three minutes left in the quarter, thanks to a 33-yard touchdown completion.

 

“They made one big play in the game, otherwise we shut them down on defense,” said Anderson. 

 

By halftime, the Bulldogs were up 34-6, spurred on by two rushing touchdowns from McShane and another by McGeough. The team scored its final points of the game late in the fourth quarter, when Bryce Radloff crossed the goal line and quarterback Carver Blietz-Bentien completed the two-point conversion.

 

“We just continued to run the ball well,” said Anderson. “Gabe had a big game, and Cullen had a good game. Our seniors really played well, and that’s what you want on homecoming.”

 

In fact, the team’s “McDouble” rushing tandem combined for 397 of MFL MarMac’s 421 rushing yards. McGeough tallied a career-high 285 yards, along with two touchdowns, on 24 attempts, while McShane carried the ball nine times for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Radloff added 32 yards and a TD on four touches.

 

Blietz-Bentien, meanwhile, threw the ball only five times, but completed two passes to Brandon Christofferson for 52 total yards.

 

“Carver played almost a flawless game,” Anderson noted. “I think he’s only thrown one interception all year in five games.”

 

Defensively, Anderson said MFL MarMac had just as good a game plan.

 

“[Sumner-Fred] wants to rush the ball, and we were able to hold them in check. They didn’t have a rushing touchdown, and that’s what they like to do,” he shared.

 

McGeough was the Bulldogs’ leading tackler, with 8.5 total, including 2 for a loss. Tristen Koehn racked up 6 tackles, while McShane, Christofferson and Radloff each had 5.5, Wyatt Powell 5 and Austin Schlee 4. Josh Reichard claimed the team’s lone sack.

 

Anderson said “some bonehead things” and penalties were the only drawbacks Friday night.

 

“A lot of flags tonight, but they were throwing them both directions. Sometimes you’re going to get refs that are going to call everything, and you have to play with the refs you’ve got,” he said. “But we have to do a better job of keeping our hands inside. There are still things to clean up.”

 

“But we put ourselves in good position going into next week,” he added. “We’re all pretty healthy.”

 

Junior Karter Decker is slated to return soon, adding more depth in the Bulldog backfield and return game. 

 

“That will make us even more dynamic,” Anderson said.

 

MFL MarMac was scheduled to play Postville next, on Friday, Oct. 1. However, Postville has reportedly cancelled the remainder of its football season. The Pirates are winless so far and have been outscored 330-22 in five games.

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