By Derek Shore (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
SARCOXIE — A dominant performance from the defense? Check. A big night from a precocious running back? Check.
Those are just two of the many ingredients that make the Marionville football machine go. It’s also why the Comets are now in the driver’s seat of the Southwest Conference as they defeated their rival Sarcoxie 42-6 in a Friday night battle of unbeatens.
Marionville, improving to 7-0 and 4-0 in conference play, now has sole possession of the top spot in the SWC. The Comets have claimed five straight games over the Bears, including nine of the last 11.
“I really liked our kids’ energy tonight compared to last week,” Marionville coach Paden Grubbs said. “Our kids were very focused. The bus ride over here was very quiet. We had a businesslike mentality. I really liked my team tonight. They were focused and came over here with a mission. They played hard. When you play hard, good things happen.”
It started with Marionville’s defense that held Sarcoxie’s dynamic offense to a season-low six points. The Comets limited the Bears to 182 yards of total offense, with 69 of those yards coming in the first half.
Marionville forced three turnovers — two interceptions and one fumble recovery.
“First of all, they trust each other to do their jobs defensively,” Grubbs said. “Secondly, they are well-coached by our defensive coaching staff. Thirdly, they do a great job of getting to the football. We were hoping our defense would be our strength and it has been to this point.”
It also helped that Cash Pomeroy, a 6-foot-2 running back, led the Comets’ ground game that accumulated nearly 300 yards. Pomeroy rushed for three touchdowns and had a game-high 148 yards on 16 carries.
Oh, and he’s just a sophomore.
“I do what I can,” Pomeroy said. “I try to do everything to the best of my ability. I don’t compare myself to anyone, but I want to make a name for myself and keep going.”
“I’m really glad he’s on my team, I’ll say that,” Grubbs said. “He’s a special kid, man. He’s got Division I size. He’s got Division I speed. Agility wise, he’s good. Weight lifting wise, he’s good. I’m glad he’s a sophomore, and I’m really glad he’s on our team. He is another good one for us.”
Pomeroy imposed his will immediately in the game. On the third play from scrimmage, he broke a tackle and sprinted 63 yards for a touchdown as Marionville took the early lead with 10:34 to play in the first quarter.
Fast forward to the 10:15 mark in the second quarter, senior Hugh Eaton ran in a 4-yard plunge into the end zone, extending the Comets lead to 14-0. Eaton’s score was set up by a 17-yard run on a reverse by junior Braydon Bellah to put Marionville within striking distance of scoring.
The Comets came up with a defensive stop on the ensuing drive as Bellah intercepted Sarcoxie quarterback Blake Heckmaster. Marionville took over and started the drive at the Bears 26-yard line with 6:46 remaining in the first half.
Pomeroy quickly found the end zone again, plowing in from 12 yards out. He ran in the two-point conversion to give his team a 22-0 that they held at halftime.
Opening the second half with the ball, the Bears got on the board after a quick three play, 65-yard drive. Heckmaster capped it with a 28-yard TD run, trimming the deficit to 22-6 with 10:30 to play.
Noah Garrison’s extra-point kick failed. Sarcoxie struggled to generate offense the rest of the game.
The Comets took nine minutes off the clock on the ensuing possession. The methodical drive was punctuated by a 2-yard TD run from Eaton, giving Marionville a 29-6 lead with 1:31 to play in the third quarter.
Senior Gage Guerin came up with an interception on the ensuing drive, setting the stage for Pomeroy’s third touchdown of the game. It was a 3-yard run to extend the Comets lead to 35-6 with 5:36 left in the game.
After Marionville blocked a punt and took over at the Sarcoxie 5, Gage Guerin put the nail in the coffin. He fired a 1-yard touchdown pass to his brother Bryer with 2:08 to go, starting the running clock.
In addition to his two scores, Eaton rushed for 66 yards in 15 attempts despite dealing with an injury. Bellah had 47 yards on five carries, while Bryer Guerin ran the ball eight times for 36 yards.
“We had to overcome injuries tonight, but we knew we had the talent,” Pomeroy said. “We had to keep our eyes on the prize and keep marching on.”
Grubbs was quick to praise his offensive line after the game.
“I felt like our linemen were opening up holes that I could have run through tonight,” the coach said. “I’m very proud of them.”
Marionville kicker Gabriele Uttini made four of five extra-point kicks.
Senior Garrett Smith led Sarcoxie (6-1, 3-1 SWC) on the ground with 59 yards on six carries. Classmate Antonio Benito ran for 41 yards on six carries, while Garrison totaled 39 yards rushing on seven carries.
“Credit to Marionville. They are a great football team,” Bears coach Russell Ellis said. “Self-inflicted wounds hurt us tonight. You can’t do that against the No. 1 team in the state.
Unfortunately, we didn’t play our best ball tonight. Overall, I thought we played hard. I thought we gave ourselves a chance to compete. We had too many mental mistakes, which is very fixable.”
Marionville hosts Ash Grove (6-1) on Friday while Sarcoxie goes to Diamond (4-3).
“This (win) is just another building block for us,” Grubbs said. “We have two more weeks, but to be where we are, we are very happy. We always want to position ourselves to play for championships. Hopefully, we can keep moving forward, getting better, staying healthy and reach our ultimate goal of playing deep in the playoffs.”
