Friday night’s district matchup between Todd County Central and McLean County could not have started any better for the Rebels. Todd Central scored the first 18 points of the game and had shut out the Cougars during the opening quarter. It seemed like there would be plenty to celebrate on this Homecoming night in Elkton.
But ole “Uncle Mo” can be a fickle individual and change sides in a heartbeat, and that is exactly what happened to the Rebels.
After falling behind 18-0, McLean County scored the final 30 points of the game and roared back to take a 30-18 district win over the Rebels.
The game opened so promisingly for Todd County Central. After stopping McLean County on the opening possession of the game, the Rebels’ Nate Reding blocked the punt and returned it for a touchdown to give Todd Central a 6-0 lead with 7:45 left in the first.
On the very next possession, McLean County fumbled the ball back to the Rebels at the Todd County Central 41 yard line. Two plays later, Omarion Riddick ripped off a 51-yard touchdown run as the lead grew to 12-0 with 4:30 to go in the third. The bad news for the Rebels was that Riddick would end the first half with 66 yards but not return in the second half.
McLean County must have figured things were collapsing around them. On the first play of the next possession, the Cougars fumbled it away again, this time giving the ball to the Rebels at the McLean County 31-yard line. Again, the Rebels took advantage of the opportunity when Gavyn Nolan connected with Nate Reding for a 17-yard score and the lead moved out to 18-0 with 1:28 left in the opening quarter. At this point, fans might have been wondering if this game might involve a running clock at some point.
Those thoughts would quickly be sent packing.
As dominant as the Rebels were in the first quarter, the Cougars would be more so in the second. McLean County went on a nine-play drive that took up nearly five minutes. The drive was capped off by a 3-yard run from Zach Clayton that cut the lead to 18-8.
Then the wheels began to come off the wagon for the Rebels.
McLean County kicked a short pooch kick on the ensuing kickoff that was fumbled by the Rebels, and the Cougars took over at the Todd Central 40-yard line. McLean County marched on an 11-play drive that ate up nearly six minutes of the quarter and scored again when Lucas Mauzy plunged in from the one to cut the margin to 18-14 with 2:52 in the half.
Things continued to go south for the Rebels as they turned the ball over on downs after running only four plays on their next possession.
This time it took the Cougars only two plays to find paydirt as Brodie Cline connected on a 66-yard bomb to Brady Dame and the Cougars took the lead at 22-18. That would be the score as the two teams headed into the locker room at the break.
The fireworks slowed down a great deal in the second half. Part of that being due to the fact that once they got the lead, the Cougars were content to let their Wing-T offense just grind it out up and down the field.
The Rebels went on a ten-play drive to open the second half, but then they stalled out and turned the ball over on downs at the McLean County 12-yard line after burning up the first six minutes of the second half.
The Cougars then delivered the knockout blow to the Rebels, churning out a 12 play, 88-yard drive of their own that was capped off by a two-yard run from Lucas Mauzy that pushed the lead out to 30-18. The drive was almost six minutes long and ate up all but the final 49-seconds of the third quarter.
The Rebels had just one more possession in the game. That was a nine-play drive that stalled out with 9:30 to go in the game. Not only did the Rebels not put points on the board, but most of the drive was led by Nate Reding at QB after Gavyn Nolan was banged up and did not return to the field.
McLean County then ground up the rest of the time with one final drive that ended with the Cougars kneeling it out deep in Rebel territory.
The loss gives the Rebels an 0-1 record in the district, while the Cougars open district play at 1-0. Todd Central steps out of district next week when they travel to Monroe County.
