By Quint Turner

The Meadowdale Mavericks started the 2011 football season on the right foot Friday night as the running game fired on all cylinders throughout the game. MHS running backs Giavani Shepard and Kyle Newsom combined for most of the damage and quarterback Brian Marty threw a touchdown pass as they rolled all over the Shorecrest Scots 41-7.

The first quarter was quite uneventful compared to the rest of the game. Meadowdale drove the ball to the 30-yard line before a holding call forced them to punt. Shorecrest came back and drove the ball to the 37 yard line of the Mavericks and then on an end-around, but Gabe Ortega fumbled the handoff and Corwin Perkins of Meadowdale picked up the ball at the MHS 46. Soon after, Newsom started running over the Scots’ defense. He would be handed the ball five straight times and single-handedly drove the ball down to the 8 yard line before the end of the quarter.

On the second play of the quarter, Newsom finished the drive with his seventh straight handoff and he ran it into the endzone from the 2-yard line to put the Mavericks up six. (The extra point kick was missed). Meadowdale then forced a 3 and out and drove the ball to the 12-yard line. However, they failed to score as they turned it over on downs after going for it on 4th and 7. Shorecrest would then be forced to punt again, and after starting at the 41-yard line, Shepard ran to the 26 and then followed with a 19-yard run. But it was Newsom who scored the touchdown on an 8-yard run. The extra point was good, and at half Meadowdale led 13 – 0.

The third quarter was when Meadowdale really started putting the numbers up. On the first play after the opening kickoff, Shorecrest quarterback Ted Hammond threw a deep pass that was picked off by Jacob Hughes and the Mavericks would start with the ball at the 40. Shepard, two plays later, ran 53 yards to the house to put Meadowdale up 19-0 after breaking a few tackles and outrunning everyone. The Mavericks quickly forced another 3 and out and took over on a punt at their own 24-yard line. Another two plays later, and it was Newsom this time taking the ball 70 yards to the house for another touchdown, putting MHS up 26-0 on an amazing run.

Shorecrest wasn’t able to advance on their next possession, and Meadowdale was driving again. After a 3-yard gain that put the Mavericks at the Shorecrest 14-yard line, Shepard went to the ground and injured his finger. (Fortunately, he would return later.) Soon after, Marty threw the only touchdown pass of the game to wide receiver Tyler Morehouse to put Meadowdale up 32-0. And they weren’t done yet. On the next Shorecrest possession, the Scots were forced to punt from inside the endzone and the snap to the kicker went past him and through the endzone for a safety, making it 34-0. Meadowdale got the ball down to the 36 yard line of Shorecrest before the end of the third quarter.

One play after the start of the fourth had Chace Diemond take the ball to the house on another running play–making it 41-0 with 11 minutes left to play. Shorecrest finally started driving with five minutes left in the game and they would score on a touchdown pass from Hammond to Keegan Lockler to close out the scoring at 41-7.