Madonna pulls away from Trinity in season finale
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WEIRTON -- The Madonna football team closed out the season in style against Trinity Christian.
The Blue Dons scored 40 points in the first half enroute to a 53-15 victory against the Warriors in the season finale Friday night at Jimmy Carey Stadium.
"It was a great way to end the season," first-year Madonna (5-5) head coach Mauro Monz said. "I'm happy for our guys, especially our seniors. We have lost some close games.
"That was a big win against a very good football team. They came in at 6-3. We came out in the first half, and we took it to them."
The Blue Dons collected four touchdowns through the air, three on the ground and one on defense.
"We have a young quarterback and young skill guys," Monz said. "We are excited about the future."
Madonna sophomore quarterback Lucas McAllister tallied 258 yards and four touchdowns through the air, while rushing for 63 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. McAllister also booted an extra point.
Anthony Gross, who started the game on the line, collected 41 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries. All of his production came in the second half.
Shawn McFarland finished the game with five receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown, Chase Littleton tallied three catches for 65 yards and two touchdowns and Jonah McKay contributed three receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown. Finally, Koleton Grishkevich caught four passes for 36 yards.
McFarland also intercepted two passes -- one of which he returned 59 yards for a touchdown.
Andre Crossland and McKay also recorded an interception for the victors.
McFarland also finished the game with four extra points.
"Defensively, we played really well," Monz said. "They have a great running back. He's great. Our plan was to bottle him up, but he was able to split through the defense a couple of times and had a couple big runs. Our goal was hopefully for him not to beat us."
Senior Levi Teets tallied 131 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries to lead the way offensively for the Warriors (6-4). He also caught one pass for three yards.
Quarterback Kyle Knight completed 5-of-14 passes for 60 yards, however, the senior threw four interceptions. Knight also ran 11 times for 23 yards, while also running for a 2-point conversion.
For the visitors, Josh Jorge finished the night with three catches for 24 yards, while Parker Hopkins produced one reception for 33 yards.
The boys in blue scored two touchdowns in the first quarter.
McKay opened the scoring when he hauled in a 20-yard touchdown from McAllister. McFarland drilled the extra point giving the hosts a 7-0 lead with 5:39 remaining in the first quarter. Then, Grishkevich caught a 20-yard score from McAllister. This time, the extra point hit the upright keeping the Blue Dons up 13-0 with 44.9 seconds left in the quarter.
The Blue Dons broke the game wide open in the second as they scored four touchdowns to build a 40-0 lead at halftime.
First, McAllister scored on a 28-yard run, however, the extra point hit the crossbar kepeing the score 19-0 with 6:09 remaining in the first half. Next, McFarland scored on a 12-yard pass from McAllister, and McFarland kicked the PAT making the score 26-0 with 4:45 left in the quarter. Then, Littleton tallied his touchdown on a 41-yard score from McAllister, and McFarland's extra point was true increasing Madonna's advantage to 33-0 with 34.3 seconds still showing on the scoreboard clock.
Instead of just running out the clock, the Warriors decided to attempt a pass, and it proved to be disastrous as McFarland intercepted Knight, and he returned the ball 59 yards for a score. McFarland then kicked the extra point extended Madonna's advantage to 40-0 with 8.5 seconds left in the half.
Teets scored on a 65-yard run, and Knight kicked the extra point making the score 40-7, with 4:06 left in the third.
Madonna answered right back.
This time, Gross scored on a 6-yard run, and McAllister kicked the PAT making the score, 47-7, with 1:00 left in the quarter.
Teets scored on a 13-yard run in the fourth, and Knight ran for the 2-point conversion to make the score 47-15 with 6:00 left to play.
Gross capped the scoring with a 5-yard run with 2:22 remaining to be played. The extra point sailed wide keeping the score, 53-15.
Neither the Blue Dons nor the Warriors qualified for the West Virginia Class A playoffs. Though Madonna missed the playoffs, the Blue Dons have nothing to be ashamed of this season.
"5-5 is great," Monz said. "We are a handful of plays away from being 7-3 and being in the playoffs. To be able to go 5-5, I love it. It's great. It's fantastic."
Madonna 53, Trinity Christian 15
Trinity Christian 0 0 7 8 – 15
Madonna 13 27 7 6 – 53
First Quarter
MADONNA: McKay 20 pass from McAllister (McFarland kick), 5:39
MADONNA: Littleton 20 pass (kick fail), :44.9
Second Quarter
MADONNA: McAllister 28 run (kick fail), 6:09
MADONNA: McFarland 12 pass from McAllister (McFarland kick), 4:45
MADONNA: Littleton 41 pass from McAllister (McFarland kick), :34.3
MADONNA: McFarland 59 interception return (McFarland kick), :8.5
Third Quarter
TRINITY CHRISTIAN: Teets 65 run (Knight kick), 4:06
MADONNA: Gross 6 run (McAllister kick), 1:00
Fourth Quarter
TRINITY CHRISTIAN: Teets 13 run (Knight run), 6:00
MADONNA: Gross 5 run (kick fail), 2:22
RUSHING: Trinity Christian 39-152 2TDs (Knight 11-21, Teets 28-131 2TDs); Madonna 25-152 3TDs (McAllister 7-63, Grishkevich 3-3, McKay 4-24, Gross 9-41 TD, Debraska 2-11)
PASSING: Trinity Christian 5-14-60-0-4 (All by Knight); Madonna 15-28-238-4-(All by McAllister)
RECEIVING: Trinity Christian 5-60 (Jorge 3-24, Hopkins 1-33, Teets 1-3); Madonna 15-238 (Grishkevich 4-36, McKay 3-57 TD, Littleton 3-65 2TDs, McFarland 5-68 TD)
FIRST DOWNS: Trinity Christian 8; Madonna 15
PENALTIES-YARDS: Trinity Christian 5-26; Madonna 5-65
FUMBLES-LOST: Trinity Christian 3-0; Madonna 0-0
PUNTS-AVERAGE: Trinity Christian 1-27; Madonna 0-0