Maryville and Center put on quite the show Saturday afternoon in Maryville. The two teams left it all on the field in a game that wasn't decided until the last possession.
When the final whistle blew it was the Spoofhounds once again protecting their home field and advancing in the postseason with a 23-15 win.
"Getting past the quarterfinals is a big hurdle," Maryville head coach Matt Webb said. "To play the way we did against a team as good as Center really showed the heart this team has. We talk about the heart of a champion and what that means. At this point, none of these games are going to be easy. That was a hard-hitting game in every direction."
The first half was nip-and-tuck the entire way.
Maryville gained the early advantage as they turned the first possession of the game into points.
The Spoofhounds' methodical, 14-play, 82-yard drive ended with quarterback Trey Oglesby plunging into the end zone from one yard out.
Maryville went for two and Elijah Green blasted through the Center defense to put the home team up 8-0 with 7:10 to play in the first.
Center responded by matching the Maryville TD on their next drive.
The Yellowjackets used a balance attack to march down the field for their first score which came on a rush by freshman Jason Weston.
Center missed their 2-point try and it was 8-6 with just over four minutes left in the first.
The two-point Maryville lead remained until Center was able to take the lead on a 23-yard field goal by Ian Harmon with just 19 seconds to go in the half.
As they did to start the game, Maryville opened the third quarter with a scoring drive.
With 8:10 showing on the clock, running back John Zimmerman darted into the end zone from 11 yards out. The Spoofhounds were again successful on the two-point try to go on top 16-9.
Center came right back with an answer.
The Yellowjackets dialed up the halfback pass which went for 59 yards from Norvell Trent to Christian Cox down to the Maryville 3-yard-line.
On 4th-and-goal, Center QB Amaun Ryan connected with senior Langdon Douglas for six.
The PAT was missed and Maryville remained up by one (16-15) with 6:36 left in the third.
The Spoofhounds pushed the lead to eight early in the fourth. After converting a fourth down, Ogelsby hit Eli Dowis for a 23-yard score to make it 23-15 with 8:33 to play.
Center had one last chance to tie the game with a touchdown and two-point conversion. The Yellowjackets moved the ball deep into Maryville territory, but fumbled in the final minute allowing the Spoofhounds to punch their ticket to the semifinals.
"Our kids mindset is one at a time," Webb said. "This group of seniors has done an outstanding job of leading and the playmakers stepped up when we needed them. This place is special, it's a great atmosphere.
The fans were packed in here and it makes a difference with our home field advantage."
The loss was the first for Center this season as the Yellowjackets end the year at 12-1.
"We had a chance to win, it just didn't go our way," Center head coach Bryan DeLong said. "I'm very proud of our kids effort and toughness all year. My hat's off to Maryville, that's a class program. We just came up a few plays short, but our kids didn't back down and never blinked. This program prides itself on trying to get to double-digit wins every year. That will be the goal again next year. I'll miss these seniors, they are a great group of talented kids, but they're better people."
Maryville (13-0) will take on Miller Career next Saturday for a spot in the Class 3 State Championship.
