By Kary Booher (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
MARSHFIELD — After a narrow, opening week loss, junior quarterback Bryant Bull walked the hallways of Marshfield High School ready to restore order and, upon reaching the field Friday night, got even more inspired.
“I looked up and that was the most (fans) I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” said Bull, in town the past five years. “I was ready.”
Was he ever.
Bull ran for four touchdowns and threw for another in leading the Marshfield Blue Jays to a 35-0 victory against the Cassville Wildcats at R.A. Barr Stadium.
From his right arm came 255 passing yards on 18-of-23 passing – and one interception – as well as 101 yards rushing on nine carries.
With it, the Blue Jays (1-1) evened their record heading into the first Big 8 East game of the year at home against Catholic next week. The Blue Jays proved their defense could be a huge factor, too, as Marshfield navigates the Big 8 East schedule.
“We made a lot of mistakes (last week in a 31-28 loss to Seneca) that we didn’t make tonight,” Marshfield coach Cody Bull said. “We had a lot of guys who got shell-shocked from it being their first Friday night. We started really fast, and it kind of burned us out a little bit. The amount of time they have to play on a Friday is different than a Monday, and that got to us.
“We were much better with that tonight.”
In order, his son had 43-, 9-, 3- and 7-yard touchdown runs – the first three before halftime – and threw a 19-yard TD pass.
Marshfield led 21-0 at halftime. Credit the offensive line, receivers who created space and gained yards after catches, as well as the defense.
The O-line of Daniel Minton, Jagger Robinson, Clayton Shipman, Robbie Hearod, Mason Mellington and Maguire Wilson provided Bull plenty of time to find receivers.
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That led Tyler Young (7 catches for 139 yards) and Joe Harles (6 for 54 yards) with big nights on crossing routes, post patterns and curl routes.
Their skill in those routes helped set up Bull’s first TD, in which a low snap forced him to abandon the play and run to the right side – in which he out-ran five defenders. Overall, the Jays had running plays of 26, 43 and 29 yards and passing plays of 13, 66, 18, 16, 13, 14, 15 and 12 yards.
“Our line was firing off the ball real well,” said Harles, a second-year football player who also was perfect on his five extra-point kicks. “I’ve had to get in sync with (Bull) and be on the same page so that I can make plays and he can make plays.”
Said Cassville coach Lance Parnell, “Offensively, they’re completely different and putting a lot more trust in their quarterback, and they spread the field really well. And he throws a really good ball. He does a nice job of taking what the defense gives him.”
Meanwhile, Marshfield’s defense pitched a shutout a week after the 31-28 loss. The Blue Jays forced five punts and a third-quarter fumble, after which they scored two plays later on Young’s deep crossing pattern.
Cassville’s Bryson Jacobson had 17 carries for 80 yards.
Tyler Menzies, a linebacker, spent a lot of time in Cassville’s backfield and busting up plays. Senior Dusty Stevens played linebacker and running back almost all night.
“We were pretty fired up,” Menzies said. “We lost last week, and I took it upon myself not to let it happen again. And it was a true effort – the entire defense carried the energy.”
