COLONY Aside from an errant snap, the Crest Lancers played a perfect game on Friday night, led by a great performance on both sides of the ball from Zach Beckmon in a 26-2 win over district rival Marmaton Valley.
Beckmon finished the contest with game highs for both rushing yards and tackles. He finished with 146 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns, to go along with 13 tackles.
It was such a special game for the first-year senior player, his coach Nick McAnulty shook his head and laughed about his performance.
Yeah, at one point in the game we had a 2nd and 20 and he came off the field after getting 12 or 13 yards and he said, Coach, I dont see anything. I said, Dude, you just got 12 yards, I will take that at anytime during the game. Keep your head up, you are doing great, the first-year head coach said.
McAnulty knew how big the game was as his young squad entered the second half of the season searching for a playoff bid.
I told the guys last week this was the start of the second season, being district season. We had a tough loss against St. Paul, and I said we can still get second place available and even first if St. Paul stumbles. But it all starts tonight. We cannot take them for granted, we have to give everything we got. We have to get back on the right track, he said.
MVHS (1-4) picked up its first win of the season last week, and jumped to an early 2-0 lead when a bad Crest snap sailed through the end zone resulting in a safety with 8:25 left in the first quarter.
After trading possessions, Beckmon broke the game open for the Lancers with a 60-yard touchdown run with 8:24 remaining in the second quarter. Stratton McGhee converted the 2-point conversion, to put the Lancers up 8-2.
After forcing a Wildcat punt, Lancer quarterback Jacquez Coleman made the visitors pay with his breakaway speed, busting loose for a 65-yard touchdown with 3:36 left before the break.
Both teams struggled in the early goings of the second half, before McGhee scored from 15-yards out to make it 20-2 late in the third.
MVHS tried to get back into the game via the air, but an interception early in the fourth sealed its fate.
Coleman broke a 33-yard run with 7:11 remaining before exiting the game with cramps in his left leg. Beckmon rounded out the scoring with a 3-yard scoring run with 5:40 remaining.
The Lancers had a chance to rub salt into the would late in the contest, driving deep into Wildcat territory, before opting to take a knee and run out the clock.
Crest (2-3) will play at Chetopa (1-4) next Friday, who fell to Southern Coffey County 48-0 last night.
We take on Southern Coffey County next week. It will be another tough game. I really havent watched any film on them, but all the games at this point in the season are tough games, McAnulty said.
