It's quite possible. The Rebel offense seemed to have lit the afterburners as the 46-7 victory at Camden might suggest. It was a record-setting night as marks for passing yardage, total yardage and single-game receiving yardage crumbled.
It was evident that the Rebel offense had made great strides from Week 1 to Week 2.

"We're hoping to get better every week," said MHS coach Wade Comer. "I thought we looked a whole lot better against Camden than we did against Obion."

The running game opened, the Rebels discovered new pass routes and the whole offense seemed to be a lot more in tune. Comer thinks the team is finding a new comfort zone with the offense.

"We are getting more confident with what we are doing," said Comer. "We're adding more pieces of the puzzle each week and the pieces are fitting together better."

There is this urge to swallow the whole pie at once instead of eating it one piece at a time and Comer cautions that this new offensive plan will take some time.

"You can't do it all at once, so we add a little at a time," Comer said. "It's like I tell the kids, Rome wasn't built in a day."

Lost in the offensive camouflage is the Rebel defense, which has been a strength these first two weeks.

"The defense is doing an excellent job. It's our bread an butter," says Comer. "We felt like we took control of the line at Camden. Our offensive and defensive lines are starting to take control."

Next up for the Rebels this Friday night is 3A combatant Dyer County. The Choctaws have a new coach for the third time in six years and are going with their fourth new offensive scheme in that same span. They are 1-1, having defeated Gibson County 14-7 last week, but losing at 4A Dyersburg 38-0 in the opener two weeks ago.

Comer says the Tribe will line up in the I formation.

"They have a pretty good team and a pretty good tailback," he said. "Adrian Flowers is young and fast and he'll stick you. They also will have a split-4 defense."

The Rebel coach warned that DC is gaining confidence after its win over the Pioneers.

"They should feel good about themselves; that was a big win for them," Comer said. "They will run a lot of off-tackle stuff and their quarterback can throw it. They have some receivers who can catch it, too. We'll have our work cut out for us."

Kickoff is 7:30 Friday night at Rebel Field. Gates open at 5:30.
Elsewhere:

MUSTANGS FACE DANGEROUS LEXINGTON: It's hard to figure what's going on at Lexington. The Tigers suffer an opening-game loss to Riverside then turn around and knock off Bolivar.

One thing is certain, the Big Red has Huntingdon coach Mike Mansfield's attention.

"Lexington has been hurt by turnovers, but they have some talent and some speed," said the coach. "They have a lot of speed and when you have speed, you have big-play potential."

The added incentive is that Lexington views its neighbor from 15 miles up the road as an intense rival.

"They have some two and three-year starters so they'll be gunning for us," Mansfield said. "And we're going to their place."
Kickoff at Jim Stowe Stadium is 7:30 p.m.

"We have to be ready to contain their backs," said the coach. "They can hit a home run every snap so from our standpoint, we have to win the war in the trenches and control the tempo or we're going to be chasing them."

The Mustangs are stepping high after a 70-7 victory over Adamsville. Mansfield said he emptied his bench during the ballgame, but was pleased with his team's performance top to bottom.

"I was very pleased with the character we showed," Mansfield said. "We played hard when we didn't have to. We have to maintain our level of play no matter who our opponent is."

USJ ROLLS INTO BRUCETON: After suffering two tough losses to start the season, the Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central Tigers find the schedule no more accommodating.

Class A power University School of Jackson comes to Joe T. Herndon Field this Friday night.

"USJ is always good and this is a typical USJ team," said Central coach Rod Sturdivant. "They have a solid line and good skilled people and they mix it up real well; they do so much."

The Tigers suffered through four lost fumbles at Halls and have been slowed by injury, but Sturdivant says his team will return to the practice field to correct those things and try to improve.
"We'll work on pass defense and fundamentals," he said. "We'll just keep trying to get better."

WAR EAGLES PLAY MATINEE IN MEMPHIS: West Carroll travels to play Memphis-Catholic for a special 4 p.m. start time. Why? Catholic has no lights.

No matter, the 1-1 War Eagles will be there and will face a Catholic team that likes to spread its offense.

"They run a shotgun formation mostly with four receivers," said War Eagle coach Chris Rich. "Sometimes they go with two backs and three receivers out of the shotgun and they'll throw it 70 to 75 percent of the time. Their quarterback has a strong arm and can throw it."

West Carroll is a bit more chipper these days after posting an impressive 41-14 victory over Lake County. The War Eagles improved to 1-1, but more importantly are 1-0 in the region.
"Any region win is a big win," said Rich.

In the win over the Falcons, West Carroll displayed a bit of balance.

"We're still not a passing team; we're going to run it most of the time," said Rich. "But we have the potential to throw it and catch it. If people load up on us, we can throw it."

Rich said he was pleased with the strides his team made following a season-opening loss at Trinity. The War Eagles didn't have the advantage of the jamboree going into the game.

"At Trinity, we looked like we were in a jamboree," said Rich. "We looked a whole lot better with Lake County, but we still have a few areas to improve on."

The game began with Adamsville winning the toss and electing to receive the first offensive opportunity as fans quickly realized just how potent the Mustangs defensive abilities would be for the night. Noah Evans received Mark Newsome’s opening kickoff and was stopped at the Cardinal 34 by Terrance Bell and Newsome. On the first down play, quarterback T.J. Robinson was in the shotgun and the snap was high. He was left scrambling for the ball and the play resulted in a loss of 14 as he fell on the ball to maintain possession. A pass to Trane Robinson was good for four yards before Adam Carter and Newsome made the tackle. An incomplete pass followed and on fourth and 20, Evans punted the ball which rolled to the Huntingdon 42-yard line.

The Mustangs needed little time in also displaying their offensive dominance for the night as Bell moved the ball for a gain of nine. On second and one, Parish took the ball and reached back to pass to Will White who rushed into the end zone for the 48-yard completions. Newsome came in to kick the first of 10 good PAT’s for the Stangs and at the 9:33 mark, Huntingdon held a 7-0 advantage.

Newsome’s kick went into the end zone, giving the Cardinals possession at its own 20-yard line on the touchback. The first down pass was tipped by Desmond Townes. Another pass was long and broken up by Phillip Weathers. On third down, T.J. Robinson attempted to get the ball to T. Robinson. Ultimately the ball was punted to Kenny Rich who returned it to the Cardinal 42-yard line.

With 8:34 remaining, the Stangs needed only two plays to reach the end zone. Bell rushed right and was run out of bonds at the Adamsville 15. On the second play, Bell again got the nod and reached the end zone at the 8:18 mark. With Andrew Maddox holding, Newsome kicked his second PAT of the night and the Stangs now led 14-0.

Newsome’s next kick reached the end zone as Adamsville again took over at its own 20-yard line. On first down, T.J. Robinson attempted to move the ball right, but was stopped by Chris Donald for a loss of 12. A pass to Evans brought a gain of 19, but he was stopped by Maddox. A third down pass attempt was incomplete and Evans punted the ball out of bounds at the Huntingdon 47.

On their third offensive possession, the Stangs needed a few plays. Bell rushed behind Towne for a first down at the Cardinal 40. Parish passed the ball to Weathers for another first down at the 19. Bell picked up two and Parish moved right to pass. Unable to find an open receiver, Parish then moved left and gained seven yards before he was stopped. Bell gained a first down at the seven where he slipped down. Bell moved for one, two and then five for the touchdown at the 2:54 mark. Newsome’s kick was good and the Stangs now held a 21-0 advantage.

Darrell Hall received the kick and was stopped by Stephen Wright at the Adamsville 27. T. J. Robinson passed incomplete and then moved left for four where Townes made the tackle. An incomplete pass left the Cardinals punting to the Huntingdon 37-yard line at the 1:53 mark.

As in past possessions, the Stangs needed little time or incentive to find the end zone. Kenneth Hillsman moved up the middle for a gain of six and Bell rushed the ball to the Cardinal 30 for first down. A pass from Parish to Weathers was good for another first down at the 13 and then a second pass to Weathers brought the touchdown at the 29.5 mark. The kick by Newsome was good and the Stangs now held a 28-0 advantage.

The ball was returned to the 29 where Adamsville took over for another possession. This time the Cardinals almost managed to score. T.J. Robinson took the ball for a first down at the 40 before he was stopped by Maddox as the first quarter ended. An incomplete pass was the play to begin the second period, but then Newsome held the runner at the 49. Hunter Hastings was the defensive man on another first down run which ended at the Stangs 36. An incomplete pass was followed by a run by T.J. Robinson who was run out of bounds by Kenneth Porter. With the ball at the two-yard line and four downs in which to score, it appeared the Cardinals might finally get on the scoreboard. However, Townes held at the one and then a motion penalty moved the ball back to the six. Once again, Townes was able to read the play and intercepted a pass in the end zone and returned it to the Huntingdon 27 before he was brought down.

Parish handed the ball to Donald who moved right for a first down at the 32. Donald again received the ball and as he made his way up the middle, the ball was stripped from his grasp, but was recovered by the Stangs. Hillsman moved right for a first down at the 12 and then Donald moved the ball into the end zone at the 7:11 mark. Newsome’s fifth PAT was good as Huntingdon took a 35-0 lead.

Evans received the kickoff and was stopped by Eric Woods and Wright at the 14. Robinson began the series with a pass and it was intercepted by Newsome. The Stangs were penalized for pushing in the back and began their possession at their own 40 with 6:46 remaining in the third period. Donald moved the ball left to the Cardinal 47 for a first down. A completed pass from Parish to Scott Hampton was good for a first down at the 28. Donald moved the ball for a gain of three and a pass to White was good for a first down at the 11. Bell took the ball for six yards and Parish then moved into the end zone on a quarterback keeper with just over four minutes remaining on the clock. The PAT was good and Huntingdon held a 42-0 advantage.

Adamsville retained possession most of the final few minutes of action. Brain Nellett, Anthony Nellett, Kory Geans, Hampton, Bell, Maddox, Donald and White led the defensive effort.
Weathers ran the ball for nine yards and then picked up a first down at the Cardinal 42. With Cody Baker in a quarterback, the hand ended. 

During intermission, the homecoming court and escorts were announced as they walked from the visitor’s to the home side of the field. (see photo and cutline for names). Following the introduction of all eight nominees, 2002 queen Jada Butler crowned Kara Salyers as the 2003 homecoming queen. Following the homecoming ceremonies, the Marching Mustangs paid their tribute to the music of Frank Sinatra.

The second half began with Huntingdon on offense. Weathers received the opening kickoff and returned the ball to the 50-yard line where Bell took the ball on the first play from scrimmage to the end zone. The 50-yard run resulted in seven more Mustang points at the 11:37 mark. The PAT was good by Newsome and Huntingdon led 49-0.

Evans received the kickoff and was stopped by Weathers at the 20-yard line. T.J. Robinson was sacked by Townes for a loss of eight. A pass to Evans was good at the 10:25 mark and the 87-yard touchdown was followed by the PAT by Christopher Kimmons to narrow the margin to 49-7 at the 10:12 mark.

With Baker at quarterback, the Stangs began their next run for points. Donald received the kickoff and returned the ball to the Adamsville 33. Donald then moved for a loss of two and a first down at the five. On the second run, Donald was dominant as he broke several tackles before pounding another defender and reached the five-yard line. On first and five, Donald moved the ball into the end zone and at 8:41 of the third period, Newsome’s eighth PAT attempt gave Huntingdon a 56-7 lead.

Adamsville was held to three and out after attempting three incomplete passes. Bell picked up the punt and zigzagged his way into the end zone at the 7:35 mark. Newsome was again perfect on the PAT and Huntingdon led 63-7.

Adamsville was held to only two plays as Donald and Geans held on defense. On second and eight, the ball was fumbled and then recovered by Huntingdon’s Cliff Bush. With 7:01 remaining in the third period, Huntingdon was again on offense and began their assault for a final score. Baker returned at quarterback and was held on the first down to no gain. Geans moved the ball right to the four-yard line for first down. Baker picked up two and with 5:33 remaining, Josh Noles moved into the end zone. Newsome kicked his 10th PAT of the night as Huntingdon took a 70-7 advantage.

As the third quarter began to wind down, substitutions were being made defensively by the Mustangs. The final minutes of the third period found Kegan Ball, Hampton, Jorge Perez, Eric Woods, and Cody Baker on defense and the Cardinals faced third and 11 as the period concluded. They were unable to convert in the early moments of the final period as Marcus Beal held the third down play to a gain of only one and the punt went out at the Stangs seven-yard line at the 10:52 mark.

Noles rushed the ball for gains of six and then 18 for first down at the 30. Geans then moved for a gain of one while Noles picked up a first down at the 36. Roy Carter and Noles were unable to gain significant yardage for the first down and B. Nellett came in to punt for the first time in the game.

Adamsville was held by the defensive efforts of Maurice Williams, Mark Bolen, and A. Nellett and a pass was incomplete on third down. Facing fourth and eight the Cardinals punted and Perez received for Huntingdon. He was stopped at the Mustang 49. 

Noles moved right for a first down at the Adamsville 39 and DeAngelo Sherrill took the ball on the final offensive play of the night as the Mustangs won the game 70-7.

The Mustangs again had several big plays as they rushed for 406 (241 in the first half) yards and Parish was perfect in a 5 for 5 passing night of 117 yards. Newsome was 10 for 10 on PAT’s, intercepted one pass and played outstanding defensive ball as well. Townes also led the defensive efforts with several key tackles as well as one interception in the end zone to stop the Cardinals first sustained drive for points. Younger players also gained the advantage of some varsity playing time that will bode well for the Mustangs next year.

This week, the Stangs will be traveling to Lexington for a non-regional match and will then travel to Chester County the following week for a regional game.

"I didn't even feel like it was game day today," said McKenzie sophomore quarterback Drew Hayes. "It was weird; we really didn't have a good week of practice because we had to work indoors so much."

In theater, they have a saying: bad rehearsal, good performance. Maybe McKenzie should pray for rain more often during the week.

Here are the numbers: Total yards 489; yards passing 313; yards rushing 176. For a team that looked like it was in need of Rustoleum last week, the fractured practice must have been the perfect oil can.

It took two series for the Rebels to figure out that it was, indeed, game day, but once they did, they triggered an avalanche that buried a disbelieving bunch of Lions.

McKenzie got in the zone, then got in the end zone, the former quite evidently, the latter quite frequently.

"Once we got going, I felt it," Hayes said of the "zone."

"I threw it, the line blocked and the receivers caught it," Hayes said. "If someone did get through, I'd just roll out and the receivers would see me coming."

The offensive pummeling was one for the record books. The 489 total yards is a record, as are the 313 passing yards. Hayes' 14 completions and Randy Lacey's 153 receiving yards also are school records. In sum, it was just a great night all around for the offense.

"We were definitely in the zone," said senior receiver Jake Smith, who had two catches for 44 yards and a spectacular game on defense. "The line was blocking well but if it did break down, Drew would scramble and make something happen. I found myself open a lot."

The line did perform well. Drew might have been hurried five times, but he was never touched by Camden's pass rush. 
"I think we picked it up up front," said junior tackle Paul Edwards. "Coach (Wade) Comer said the offensive line did a lot better and I think we were a whole lot more crisp on offense. We had some motion and things like that to fix, but we'll be okay. We were in the zone."

Clint Manns and John Craig Howell made some super highlight-reel catches for the Rebels, further reinforcing manifestation of "the zone." Manns got separation and then came up with a deflected pass that covered 38 yards down to the Camden 8. Junior Cody Cook scored on the next play.

"Yeah, I think we were in the zone," Manns said. "Hayes found a way to get it to us. Most of the time I was open. The passing game opened up the running game very well."

Once Camden committed to covering receivers, it left fewer people to manage the run.

"Cody and Brad (Campbell) ran it well," said Hayes. "When we pass the ball, it leaves them less people outside to cover us."
"We really clicked on offense," said Clint Anderson, who had two catches for 35 yards and busted the hot route wide open ."We had good crisp routes, Drew was getting the ball to us and the line was excellent. I wasn't paying attention to the stats, Drew just threw the ball and we caught it."

Anderson also said, in spite of the big yardage and the significant offensive output, things still aren't where they need to be.

"We need to cut down on mental mistakes, but we will be ready," he said. "I think there's still room for improvement."

Mercy.

BROTHERLY LOVE: MHS quarterback Drew Hayes isn't the only one in his family to excel in a Rebel uniform. His brother Mike, who wore No. 13 during the 1980-82 seasons, also was a top flight football and baseball player for McKenzie. He was in Camden to see Drew play for the first time.

"Man he's throwing that ball well," said Mike. "If he's going to play like that when I'm here, I need to see him more often."
Drew agreed with a laugh.

"Yeah, he does need to be here more often. He's a good luck charm."

Mike is head baseball coach and biology teacher for Beech High School in suburban Nashville.

"Maybe I can get Drew to come live with me and play for Beech," Mike joked.

He brought his son Michael to see his uncle and the Rebels play.
BOOM, BOOM, STILL GOING: McKenzie's victory over the Camden Lions was its eighth straight.

MEMORIES: Randy Lacey, who set a mark for receiving yardage in a single game (153), had a game he'd like to remember. He suffered a concussion in the second half and has little recollection of his record-breaking performance. Lacey should be fine for the Dyer County game this Friday night.

GOALPOSTS COME DOWN: This Friday night, when the Choctaws visit Rebel Field, fans will notice new goal posts in the end zones. Bethel College uses Rebel Field, too, and has been using goal posts that are too wide for college football (colleges narrowed the goal post width in 1992). BC installed new adjustable goal posts that widen for high school games and readjust for college games. They replace the old goal posts that cast shadows in the end zones of Rebel Field for well over 30 years. One set of posts has already been cut into scrap metal, the other will be installed at the McKenzie High School practice field.

MANIACS: A group of McKenzie High School sophomores got together and made up a red t-shirt with black letters that "McKenzie Maniacs." On the back, the shirts say, "If you can't see, stand up." The sophomore wild bunch hopes to encourage fans and students to get behind the team. They were there in full force Friday night at Camden.

PACK THE HOUSE: McKenzie once again brought a huge fan base to the banks of the Tennessee River last Friday night. The crowd was an overflow contingent that lined the visiting fence as well. "We need that crowd support," said MHS coach Wade Comer. "We'll need them Friday night when Dyer County comes to town; they need to see how hard these kids have worked."

TURNOVER RATIO: One of the reasons for McKenzie's success thus far this year is that it has forced 13 fumbles, recovered seven of them and picked off two passes. Meanwhile, the Rebels have only turned the ball over four times - three interceptions and a fumble- for a plus-5 turnover ratio. The interception by Lacey was helped along by Daniel Hollowell. Hollowell hurried Camden quarterback Brian Markham into making a bad throw.

"We're doing a lot better there," said Comer. "We didn't lose any fumbles and we are taking care of the ball exceptionally well."

INJURY UPDATE: McKenzie center Ben Boyd, who was a rabbit all night on kickoff return, suffered a knee sprain late in the Camden game. His injury was not season-ending, but his status is day-to-day. Likewise, McKenzie receiver Randy Lacey suffered a slight concussion and also is day to day. Comer isn't sure if either one of the two will be ready when Dyer County visits Rebel Field this Friday.

NEXT LEVEL: Former McKenzie all-state lineman and Mr. Football finalist Ricky Mathis will redshirt with Tennessee-Chattanooga this season. He has been moved to center.

Charles Mays carried the ball on the first down with Kevin Taylor on the tackle and on second down; the ball was fumbled and recovered by the War Eagles.

West Carroll was penalized for holding and C. Depriest carried the ball, followed by a first down by S. Depriest. Cannon then carried the ball for four yards while S. Depriest carried for another five. Moments later, Cannon held and rushed into the end zone on a two-yard keeper and with 7:23 remaining in the first quarter, Kelly Keen kicked the PAT to give West Carroll a 7-0 lead.

After receiving the ball on the kickoff, Julius McElrath swept right for a gain of five yards, but an illegal substitution penalty put the ball back at the Falcons 32. Mays got the ball and fumbled with S. Depriest recovering for West Carroll at the Lake County 34.

The possession was short-lived as the War Eagles quickly fumbled as well and Lake County’s Josh Lienweber recovered with the Falcons beginning once again at their own 35. Mays picked up five and McElrath the first down at the West Carroll 49. McElrath was then held by C. Depriest after a gain of four and again for no gain. Quarterback Brandon Springer reached back to pass, but ran the ball instead and the War Eagles were penalized for a face mask violation, moving the ball to their 28-yard line. Springer scored moments later on a 21-yard run and Quentin Jones kicked the PAT to tie the game at seven at the 4:09 mark of the first period.

Jones kicked the ball into the end zone, giving West Carroll the ball at its own 20-yard line on the touchback. S. Depriest was held for a loss of three, but on second down, on a double reverse, C. Depriest held and reached the 43-yard line. K. Gentile carried the ball up the middle for a gain of six. On a second double reverse, Jeremiah Johnson took the ball for a gain of 10 at the Falcons 40. Johnson picked up four, Gentile gained five and S. Depriest moved the ball up the middle for a five-yard gain and a first down at the first quarter concluded. With the ball on the Falcons 26-yard line, Gentile began the second period with a three-yard gain and then a nine-yard run for first down. Gentile was able to pick up three more yards and with the ball resting on the Falcons’ eleven-yard line; S. Depriest took the ball for a gain of one before reaching the end zone on the 10-yard run for the score. Once again, Keen came in to kick the PAT and despite a five-yard penalty for illegal motion, kick the PAT good to put the War Eagles ahead 14-7 at the 9:38 mark of the second period.

K. Taylor kicked the ball to the Falcon’s 20 where it was taken by Mays for a six-yard return. Taylor made the stop. On first down, Springer held and picked up two yards before he was stopped by Ethan Thompson. Mays gained five with Cody Cunningham on the tackle. ON third down, Mays again gained short yardage with Ben Parker on the stop, just short of the first down. Springer held and attempted to convert for a first down, but was held by S. Depriest and the War Eagles took over on downs at the 35-yard line of the Falcons.

Lake County was penalized for five yards and then Cannon passed the ball to C. Depriest for the 30-yards and the War Eagles had their second touchdown of the period at the 7:47 mark. Keen’s kick was good and the War Eagles now led 21-7.

A squib kick from Taylor to Mays led to the Falcons beginning their next offensive opportunity at their own 28. Springer passed the ball incomplete and McElrath was held first by Bradley Coleman and then C. Depriest for no gain. McElrath moved back to punt the ball, but a high snap left him scrambling instead for yardage and the War Eagles took over at the Falcons 36.

On the first play from scrimmage, S. Depriest picked up 12 yards and then on the second play, he moved off tackle for the touchdown at the 5:53 mark. Keen was again perfect on the PAT attempt and the War Eagles held a 28-7 advantage.

Taylor’s second squib kick left the Falcons’ McElrath moving the ball from the Lake County 37. But Johnson was quick to see the play and caught McElrath for a five-yard loss. On second down, John Lemonds took the ball and was stopped by Taylor and Jason Lott after a gain of two. On third down, Spring passed the ball, but S. Depriest broke it up and McElrath was left punting the ball to Johnson who was stopped at the 44-yard line. 

Cannon attempted a pass to Blake Abercrombie which was incomplete. Gentile took the ball for a gain of six and then a gain of 15 more. With a first down at the Lake County 35, Gentile took the ball for no gain and the War Eagles again attempted the double reverse. C. Depriest gained a first down at the 22 on the play. Cannon then attempted a pass to Johnson in the end zone. Although he initially had the ball on a one-handed catch, he was unable to pull it in and Gentile picked up five yards on the following play. On third and five, C. Depriest took the ball for two yards while S. Depriest got the touchdown at the 1:21 mark on a 14-yard run and the War Eagles took a 34-7 lead after the PAT was blocked by the Falcons.

Taylor kicked the ball to McElrath and he was stopped by Abercrombie at the Lake County 22. Eric Underwood and Lott held the advance to six while Gentile held the advance to three. A fumble was recovered by the War Eagles with only seconds remaining.

Cannon pass to C. Depriest on a quick slant for a gain of 18 before intermission.

During intermission, home fans were entertained by the Marching War Eagles rendition of a salute to the Righteous Brothers.
The second half was not as productive for the War Eagles who added a single score to their total while the Falcons doubled their first half output with another touchdown and PAT.

The third period began with Taylor kicking the ball to Lemonds who returned the ball to the Lake County 29. Karl Erwin held Springer to a gain of one while Taylor held Lemonds to only four. Johnson held Springer to a single yard and McElrath moved back to punt the ball which rolled dead at the West Carroll 31. 

Gentile moved off tackle for a gain of two and a fumble was recovered by Lake County. Following a time-out, Springer attempted a pass which was incomplete. Coleman held the gain to two and after a six-yard gain, another fumble by the Falcons was recovered by Coleman for the War Eagles. 

With the ball at the West Carroll 30-yard line, War Eagle Kenny Brewer picked up a yard. Cannon attempted a pass to C. Depriest. S. Depriest gained just over eight and on a quarterback keeper, Cannon gained the first down at the 41. S. Depriest moved the ball for five and then four yards. Gentile gained five for the first down. S. Depriest then moved for the ball to the Lake County 15 on a 31-yard run. With 4:17 remaining in the third quarter, the Falcons took a time-out. Following the time-out Gentile got the nod and took the ball the 15 yards to pay dirt. With 4:10 remaining in the third quarter, the War Eagles Keen again kicked the PAT and West Carroll held a 41-7 advantage.

Taylor kicked the ball to McElrath who was stopped by Gentile at the Lake County 12. Spring was held to a loss of three by Lot while Mays was able to pick up six before he was stopped by Erwin. On third and seven, Mays was held to a yard by Parker and McElrath punted the ball out of bounds at the Lake County 40. 

Jeremy Sonnier took the ball for a gain of one. After an injury time-out, Johnson took the ball for seven and Dustin Seay picked up five and the first down to end the third period of action. Thompson gained five and Seay was held to no gain. Wade Holladay was held for a loss of three and West Carroll took a time-out. On fourth and eight, the War Eagles decided to go for the first down and Thompson was given the opportunity, which resulted in a gain of 12 for the first down. With the ball at the Lake County 15, Holladay was held for no gain while Seay picked up two and then a single yard on the following two plays. On fourth and seven, Thompson was again handed the ball, but was held for a loss of eight by McElrath and the War Eagles turned the ball over on downs at the Falcons 20-yard line. 

A successful drive followed for the Falcons as Shawn Macklin took the ball for eight with Seay on the tackle. Damio Yancy gained 13, seven and seven, putting the ball at the Falcons’ 49-yard line. Lemonds moved for a gain of two before he was stopped by Sonnier. On an option play, Yancy gained 18 and then Yancy was held to five by Seay. Yancy picked up another eight yards before Springer held for a gain of just over five yards and a touchdown moments later on a one-yard run to the end zone. Jones’ second PAT attempt was good and the War Eagles now led 41-14 with 3:30 remaining in the game.

Johnson received the squib kick from the Falcons and with the ball at the 44, Seay appeared to run the ball for a touchdown, but an illegal procedure call brought the ball back to the 39. Seay then ran the ball four times before Holladay took the ball for six yards. With only seconds remaining, Cody Wilson, who was in at quarterback, took a knee to end the game with a West Carroll victory.

The War Eagles improved to 1-1 overall and 1-0 in Region 8-A. This week they will travel to Memphis Catholic for a 4:00 p.m. game Friday afternoon. The following week they will return home to meet the Bulldogs from Gleason in another regional contest at War Eagle Field.

The visiting Rebels seem to be good at re-writing record books lately and did so again at the expense of Camden in a 46-7 Region 6-2A rout. In the process of using the Lions' scoreboard, the Rebs did an edit job on the McKenzie ledger.

Sophomore quarterback Drew Hayes was 14-23 passing for 313 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He shattered a 30-year mark for passing yards, held by Terry Bateman (250 yards in a 56-8 win over Jackson-South Side) and set the standard for completions in a game with 14, breaking Bateman's and Brian Smith's achievement of 11 completions in '73 and '93 respectively.

As if that weren't enough, junior Randy Lacey set a single-game receiving mark. He had seven catches for 153 yards and a touchdown, breaking Mike Vermillion's record of 147 yards in a 55-0 romp over Gleason in 1992.

McKenzie watched Camden take the ball 46 yards with relative ease on its opening drive. That was the last easy thing the Lions did. After their drive bogged down at the Rebel 35, 5:40 later, McKenzie took over and unleashed an onslaught that many thought wouldn't be possible over the improved Lions.

McKenzie only held the ball 9:51 of the possible 24 first-half minutes, yet held a formidable 27-7 lead and had done most of its offensive damage before the bands entertained at the break.
Yes, this was a stellar performance by the Rebel offense; however, MHS coach Wade Comer thought the offense wasn't as crisp as it should have been.

"I wouldn't say we clicked, but we looked a lot better," he said. "But we still have a lot of cleaning up to do."

Comer did have praise for his record setters on offense.
"Drew played a heck of a lot better and threw the ball well," said Comer. "He made some great reads and the receivers did a great job getting open and catching the ball."

After the Rebels went airborne, the ground troops got in the act. The pass attack opened things up in a huge way for the runners. Cody Cook had 14 carries for 100 yards and three TDs to lead the Rebels.

"It all works hand in hand," said Comer. "We are doing a lot better job understanding what we need to do in this offense."

Equally proficient, but somewhat anonymous during this cascade of offense was the Rebel defense. It limited Camden to a scant 188 yards and only one venture inside the red zone. In addition, the Rebels registered four sacks, two interceptions, three fumble recoveries and a pass break up.

"The defense played exceptionally well," said Comer. "Anything to help ourselves out."

It was apparent that Camden had circled this date on its calendar. It came out and drove the ball right down the Rebels' throat. After the Lion drive stalled and the Rebels sputtered, Camden took over again. But the drive was short lived when Greg Pruitt picked off Brian Markham's pass and returned it to the Rebel 40.

From there, Hayes went to work picking apart the Lion defense. He found John Craig Howell for a 33-yard hook up then discovered Lacey and the hot route two straight times for 22 total yards. Then the trenches opened up for Cook's 6-yard TD plunge with 4:04 to play. The PAT attempt failed, but the Rebs led 6-0.

McKenzie turned another Camden gift into six more points. After recovering a fumble at the MHS 31, the Rebels needed five plays and 63 seconds to span 69 yards for another score. Hayes hit Lacey for a 45-yard score and MHS was securely in front 12-0 after one.

Lacey picked off another Markham pass for the Rebs and the team embarked on an 84-yard journey to the end zone. Howell got the call 10 plays later from the 3 and John Kermit Laughery added the PAT as the Rebels led 19-0 at the 7:24 mark of the second.

Camden retaliated as well as it could on its next possession and rolled 78 yards on seven plays. Markham found Heath Yoder on a 3-yard pass play. Clay Carruth added the kick and the Lions trailed 19-7 with 3:57 to play in the half.

The Rebels weren't done.

Senior Jake Smith, who played in perhaps the best game of his career, hauled in a 26-yard TD aerial from Hayes with 96 seconds remaining in the half. Hayes hit Lacey for the deuce and MHS was up 27-7 at the break.

Anderson's big sack of Markham forced a 42-yard Camden punt. And McKenzie took its sweet time this time.

After 11 plays and 68 yards, Cook scored again from the 5 with 9:33 to play in the game. That was that. The Rebs led 46-7 and then gave the B-team some significant playing time.

Smith had two catches for 44 yards. Anderson had two grabs for 34 yards. Clint Manns had one catch for 38 yards, which set up a score. Howell had a catch for 33 yards.

Campbell had six carries for 26 yards.

Camden was led by sophomore Josh Boyd's 16 carries for 94 yards.

Defensively, Campbell had eight tackles and a sack. Clint Anderson and Howell each had a sack. Smith and a sack and a pass break up.

The Rebels, 2-0, step outside the region again when the Choctaws of Dyer County come to town this Friday night. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.

SUMMARY


MHS 12 15 13 6 46
CHS 0 7 0 0 7

FIRST QUARTER
M - 4:04 Cody Cook 6 run, kick failed (5 plays, 60 yards, 1:33)
M - 1:16 Randy Lacey 45 pass from Hayes, kick failed (6 plays, 69 yards, 1:03)
SECOND QUARTER
M - 7:24 John Craig Howell 3 run, John Kermit Laughery kick (10 plays 84 yards, 4:25)
C - 3:57 Heath Yoder 3 pass from Brian Markham (7 plays, 78 yards, 3:27)
M - 1:37 Jake Smith 26 pass from Hayes, Lacey pass from Hayes (7 plays, 29 yards, 2:21)
THIRD QUARTER
M - 9:33 Cook 5 run, pass failed. (6 plays, 62 yards, 2:27)
M - 4:10 Cook 8 run, Laughery kick. (6 plays, 65 yards, 2:4
FOURTH QUARTER
M - 8:22 Campbell 1 run, kick failed (11 plays, 69 yards, 6:58).


M C
First Downs 18 9
Yds. Rush 27-176 28-114
Yds. Pass 313 74
Comp.-att.-int. 14-23-1 6-10-2
Total Yds. 489 188
Possession 24:08 23:52
Red Zone-scores 5-5 1-1
Third down 3-6 3-6
Fourth down 1-2 1-4

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