‘This is a signature win’
Mavericks use defensive stand to stop Cleveland
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TRIMONT - The ball was put into Maddex Faber's hands. Martin County West faced fourth-and-inches at Cleveland's 43-yard line with 1:36 left in the fourth quarter. One more first down would turn the Mavericks late 28-25 lead into their seventh win of the season and knock off the undefeated Clippers.
Faber quickly lunged left following his under-center snap. Martin County West fans grew louder and louder after seeing their quarterback charge past the official line to gain. As the referees signaled to move the chains forward, a Maverick victory was all but confirmed.
Tuesday night's win over Cleveland did more than end Martin County West's regular season on a high note. The Mavericks are winners of their past six contests. They join the Clippers and Mayer Lutheran for a three-way tie at the top of the Section 2A QRF standings. Most importantly, it showed head coach Tom Elliott that his team can claw through adversity when facing the class’s top competition.
"When the chips were down, they [Cleveland] had all the momentum, and the kids clawed, fought, and made the plays when we needed them," Elliott said. "We're going to see teams like this if we are going to make a move in the playoffs, and we need to have this experience and know what it feels like to really buckle down and make plays."
"Really, really happy with the kids. I'm happy for the program and these seniors. This is a signature win for them that they are going to remember for a really long time," he continued.
Elliott and his coaching staff knew the Clippers were too good a team to roll over at halftime. Martin County West threw the initial punch thanks to Lixon Forsberg. Forsberg took Blake Stocker's punt up the middle before bouncing to his right. Seeing open grass, the senior continued striding down the sideline and into the end zone.
Cleveland answered with a defensive touchdown five minutes later. Backed up to the Mavericks’ 8-yard line, Faber's third-and-seven throw to the left was intercepted by Jackson Shouler and taken back for the quick score.
But Martin County West used two long scoring drives to aid its 20-7 halftime lead. Faber notched 18 and 21 yards on quarterback runs to put the Mavericks at the 3-yard line. Pierce Rohman punched in his first of three touchdowns with a run up the middle.
Rohman scored once more with 24 seconds left in the second quarter. Martin County West's two scoring drives combined for 26 plays and lasted 13 minutes of game time.
The Mavericks continued wearing down Cleveland's defense early in the third quarter. Martin County West used Rohman's right-side 24-yard run to set up a first-and-goal at the Clippers’ 6-yard line. Rohman, who finished with 152 yards on 39 carries, punched in another score before converting a two-point attempt on his wildcat run from the backfield.
With 9:19 left in the third quarter, Martin County West's 28-7 lead looked solid. However, after Cleveland answered with a seven-play scoring drive, the Mavericks’ once-methodical offense began to stall.
Rohman was stopped short on a fourth-and-three run up the middle and handed possession back to the Clippers. Cleveland quarterback Carson Lyons, who notched 267 passing yards on 19 completions, began to pick up momentum, starting the drive with a 19-yard connection to Braeden Smith. Lyons found Wyatt Krenik on a deep corner route to the right before capping the drive with a two-yard touchdown run.
Cleveland's passing attack continued to give Martin County West problems on its next drive. Finding Samuel Ternes and Anthony Hollerich for quick completions over the middle, Lyons delivered another deep strike that tightened the score further.
Rolling to his left, the Clippers quarterback connected with Jackson Mons down the opposite sideline and completed the 26-yard pitch-and-catch touchdown. Maverick Kayden Glidden blocked the ensuing point-after attempt. The game had flipped on its head. A once three-possession lead turned into a 28-25 advantage within one quarter. Momentum swung further after Martin County West immediately fumbled on its own 38-yard line.
A Lyons scramble and catch from Krenik put Cleveland on the Mavericks’ 15-yard line. The Clippers faced a fourth-and-12 after an offensive holding penalty. Lyons set up in the backfield. He extended the play with a roll to the right. Before he could get a throw off, a swarm of blue jerseys took down the elusive quarterback. Martin County West's lone second-half defensive stop came at the perfect time.
"It was just a matter of getting the kids to believe," Elliott said. "We knew what we were doing Xs and Os wise was good enough. They [Cleveland] have a lot of athletes, and their athletes were able to make plays. But when it was money time, our kids showed up. We were able to get pressure on the quarterback and get him off his spot."
Rohman picked up the much-needed first down on Martin County West's following series, an eight-yard toss run to the right. The senior running back got three more carries to inch to a fourth-and-inches. There, Faber did the rest, picking up his 53rd rushing yard to seal a Maverick victory.
"We knew that we needed that," Elliott said. "We told the offense going into that final series that we cannot afford to let Cleveland have another crack at it. For how good a football team they are, you can't give them multiple opportunities. We knew we needed to grind out a couple of first downs and keep that clock rolling, and they were able to get it done."