-
- Frontier’s Caleb Kirkpatrick (4) follows a blocker throughout Friday’s recreation towards Magnolia in New Matamoras. (Photo by Mike Morrison)
-
- Frontier’s Austyn Kephart (20) runs with the ball throughout Friday’s recreation towards Magnolia in New Matamoras. (Photo by Mike Morrison)
Frontier’s Caleb Kirkpatrick (4) follows a blocker throughout Friday’s recreation towards Magnolia in New Matamoras. (Photo by Mike Morrison)
NEW MATAMORAS — The Frontier Cougars celebrated their homecoming in fashion Friday as they overcame a 10-point half time deficit and went on to down the Magnolia Blue Eagles 34-22.
Cougar junior Austyn Kephart scored three touchdowns and went over the 100-yard mark in each dashing and receiving as Frontier snapped a two-game shedding streak and picked up victory quantity three on the season.
“It was kind of a similar story as last year against Magnolia only with a better ending,” stated Cougar head coach Damon Metheney, whose Cougars fell to Magnolia final yr 34-32. “We made a couple of adjustments and I’m just so proud of the guys for sticking it out and overcoming the adversity.”
Frontier utterly dominated the primary quarter and appeared on their means to a attainable rout over the winless Eagles.
The Cougars took the opening drive and marched 55 yards on 9 performs with quarterback Aaden Bills ending issues off with a 4-yard landing run.
Frontier’s Austyn Kephart (20) runs with the ball throughout Friday’s recreation towards Magnolia in New Matamoras. (Photo by Mike Morrison)
Magnolia’s opening drive stalled instantly and the Cougars bought the ball again close to midfield.
A 34-yard move from Bills to Kephart bought the drive began and later Kephart scored his first landing of the sport on a 3-yard run to improve the Cougar lead to 12-0.
Frontier ran 15 performs from scrimmage within the opening quarter whereas the Blue Eagles would run simply 4.
Things would change and alter in an enormous means within the second quarter as Magnolia utterly dominated behind the hard-nosed energy working of senior Hunter Cooley.
All advised within the second quarter Cooley carried the ball 11 occasions for 119 yards and three touchdowns because the Blue Eagles turned what was a 12-point deficit right into a 10-point lead on the break.
Cooley was a handful to carry down as his energy working was powerful for the Cougars to comprise.
“He (Cooley) is a very hard runner and probably one of the hardest runners we have seen all year,” stated Metheney. “We knew they were going to run that overload and run right at us and it was up to us to decide if we were going to stop it or not.”
With momentum squarely on the Eagles aspect on the intermission, the Cougars wanted an enormous defensive cease to begin the second half they usually had been ready to do exactly that.
Cooley picked up proper the place he left off within the first half with a pair of lengthy runs however all the sudden the Cougar protection got here to life as they stopped him for no achieve on again to again carries.
Facing a fourth down contained in the Cougars 15-yard line, Eagles quarterback Finn Loy’s move try on fourth down was incomplete, giving the Cougars the ball again at their very own 12-yard line.
On the very first play from scrimmage Bills handed the ball to Kephart on an finish round and the Frontier junior broke free after which out-ran everybody down the sidelines for an 88-yard landing run.
“We really needed to get something done really bad after the way we ended the first half,” stated Kephart. “We just felt like we are not going to lose this and came out and got the job done.”
The Cougars went for the 2 level conversion and Kirkpatrick scored to minimize the lead to 22-20.
After stopping Magnolia within the crimson zone on their earlier possession the Cougar protection appeared to be actually gaining some confidence within the second half.
They pressured the Eagles to punt once more and a 29-yard punt by Magnolia gave them the ball on the Eagle 44-yard line.
After Bills was sacked by the Magnolia protection on first down, the Cadets answered to regain the lead on a superbly thrown 48-yard landing from Bills to Kephart who raced into the top zone to give the Cougars a 28-22 lead.
Frontier bought an enormous insurance coverage rating within the ultimate interval and as soon as once more it was Kephart setting issues up.
Another finish round halfway by means of the fourth quarter to Kephart turned out to be the suitable name as he as soon as once more broke free and this time he went some 64 yards to transfer the ball inside the red-zone.
After one other Frontier penalty moved the ball again 5 yards to the 16, Kirkpatrick took the very subsequent snap on a wildcat and raced 16 yards into the top zone to give the house group a little bit of respiratory room.
After being torched for the three touchdowns within the second quarter the Cougar protection rose to the event within the second half as they didn’t permit one other level.
Amazingly Kephart did all of his harm by touching the ball simply seven occasions within the recreation.
He carried the ball 3 times for 155 yards whereas hauling in 4 receptions for 120 extra.
“This is a really good group and I’ve got a lot of great teammates around me,” stated Kephart. “I can’t thank my coaches enough for giving me the opportunity and God, the man himself, because I wouldn’t be here without Him.”
Metheney has seen glimpses all season lengthy of what sort of expertise he has in Kephart.
“He’s a very coachable kid and busts his tail everyday,” stated Metheney of Kephart. “He’s very talented and very fast and he gives us max effort every single game.”
Bills accomplished 6-of-10 move makes an attempt for 150 yards within the recreation.
Kirkpatrick had a stable night time for the Cougars as he carried the ball 13 occasions for 78 yards.
Cooley fell simply shy of 200 yards within the recreation by carrying the ball 26 occasions for 194.
The win was the third of the season for the Cougars and retains their postseason hopes alive.
“Technically if we win out we have like a 90 percent chance to make the playoffs,” stated Metheney, whose group closes with video games towards Shenandoah and River at dwelling. “It’s do or die, our backs are towards the wall however we nonetheless are able to do what we wished to all alongside and that’s make the playoffs.