A long tough season for the Fort Campbell Falcons came to an end in cool, damp conditions Friday night at Fryar Stadium. The short handed Falcons were “behind the 8 ball” from the very beginning enroute to a 43-29 loss to Madisonville.
The Maroons jumped on the Falcons early, and rolled to their six straight win to close out the regular season. The last loss for Madisonville came back on September 7th, when the Maroons lost a 13 point lead and fell to Union County 14-13.
It did not take long for the Maroons to get the offensive onslaught started. Madisonville took the opening kickoff and then scored four plays later on a 16 yard pass reception by Aaron Miller to take a 7-0 lead just 42 seconds into the game. The first drive was a good indicator of what was to come, as the Maroons were able to gash the Falcon defense for big gains, almost at will.
Over the rest of the first quarter, Madisonville scored on three more touchdown passes from J.D. Gilbert, two to Kaleb Taylor and one to Boyd Metheny, and a safety on a bad snap by the Fort Campbell offense, to take a 30-0 lead at the end of the opening quarter.
Madisonville scored again with 8:18 to go in the 2nd quarter to get to the running clock. This time it was a 31 yard pass from Gilbert to Marquise Parker. Jeriah Hightower found the end zone from 25 yards out with 1:10 to go in the half to make it 43-0 at the break. Madisonville dominated the first half of play, outgaining the Falcons 292-29.
The Falcons, playing the game without starting quarterback Matt Middleton, had trouble getting their offense into anything close to a consistent rhythm. Jordan Edwards, who finished out the Paducah Tilghman game at quarterback after Middleton got hurt, spent the night under center for the Falcons. Not only were the Falcon without Middleton, but senior Elijah Crockett.
The Falcons did generate some fireworks of their own in the 2nd half. Tyler MacKay returned the 2nd half kickoff 82 yards for a score to make it 43-6. On Fort Campbell’s next possession, Jordan Edwards bootlegged to the left side and ran it in from 59 yards to cut the lead to 43-14 at the end of the 3rd quarter.
On their first possession of the 4th quarter, the Falcons scored again, this time Edwards found Nathan Lake on a 29 yard touchdown pass to make it 43-21. After recovering a Madisonville fumble at the Maroon’s ten yard line, Nathaniel Massey scored from five yards out to trim the lead further to 43-29.
The loss ends the Falcons season at 1-9. Madisonville improves to 8-2 on the season. The Maroons will open the playoffs at home next Friday hosting the Warren Central Dragons.
