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NMCC manhandles Charleston
NEW MADRID -- In the first three weeks of the season, New Madrid County Central was a second half team. Against Charleston on Friday night, they were a first quarter team.
The Eagles set a school record with 34 points in the opening frame, scoring five touchdowns on just eight offensive plays. The Eagles added two more scores in the second quarter, coasting to a 48-13 win over the Bluejays.
"I have not seen us hit on all cylinders like we did in that first quarter," said NMCC coach Steve Rogers.
Remond Willis scored four touchdowns, finishing with 134 yards on seven carries. Edgar Givens scored twice and intercepted two passes.
The offensive starters were pulled in the second quarter after the Eagles jumped out to a commanding 41-0 lead. NMCC used nine running backs in the game.
"We've got a lot of weapons, and we tried to spread it around tonight," said Rogers. "We had three great days of practice on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I've been here 15 years, and those were as good of practices as we've had. We put in a few new wrinkles and it worked real well for us."
For Charleston, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. The Bluejays turned the ball over seven times and dropped four passes at crucial times.
"It got ugly in a hurry," said Charleston coach Brent Anderson. "I don't know if that was a snowball or an avalanche. When we looked into our kids' eyes before the game, we could tell something wasn't right. I don't know what it was. We didn't have a very good week of practice, and usually that's a telling sign for us. We are pretty banged up, but that's no excuse. We were dominated physically all night long, even by their jayvee for a while. You've just got to take your licks and go back to the drawing board."
NMCC scored on its first possession of the game as Willis broke off a 33-yard TD run. On the Eagles' next drive, he dashed 52 yards for his second score.
Jeffery McFarland then made a diving interception on a deflected pass, setting up a 51-yard TD pass from Darrel Newsom to Givens.
"When you have a chance to make plays, you've got to make them -- especially against a team like New Madrid," said Anderson. "They're playing well right now. They made some big plays and we didn't. When you turn the football over, it's tough to win games. When you don't execute, it's really tough to win."
Givens intercepted another A.H. Marshall pass on Charleston's next drive and returned it 45 yards, setting himself up for a 24-yard touchdown run on a reverse.
On Charleston's next drive, an attempted pass from Marshall was ruled a fumble. Willis picked up the ball and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown to make it 34-0.
"It just kind of snowballed," said Rogers. "We got a score, they had a turnover, then we had another score. One thing led to another, then next thing you know, it's 34-0."
Following another Charleston fumble, Willis scored his fourth touchdown from 27-yards out, making the score 41-0 just 13 minutes into the game.
The Eagles pulled their offensive starters midway through the second quarter. Sophomore Printice Willis then added to the lead with a three-yard touchdown run to make it 48-0.
Charleston was able to score with 4:03 left in the second as Marshall hooked up with Jeff Hemphill on a 28-yard TD pass. The mercy rule was in effect the entire second half. Charleston scored the final touchdown of the night in the third quarter, on a nine-yard run by Trentez Lane.
"Tonight, we didn't play well," said Anderson. "That's disappointing to me as a coach, but I know our kids will rebound. They're going to come back and get it right."
NMCC saw improved special teams play in the win. Brandon Fields was 6-of-6 on PATs and found the end zone four times on kickoffs.
Charleston (1-3) will host Malden on Friday while NMCC (3-1) travels to Caruthersville for another SEMO Central battle.
"(Tonight) was just a great performance," said Rogers. "We're going to need that next week against Caruthersville. We're going to have our hands full. Hopefully, the guys will keep working hard and we can keep this thing rolling."