Looking to keep hopes of a home playoff game alive on Senior Night in Elkton Friday, the Todd County Central Rebels fell behind 30-6 at the half on the way to a 46-20 loss to McLean County. The 6-3 Rebels have lost three of four and now know they will be on the road at Owensboro Catholic to start the postseason. Todd County fell 55-21 at home to the Aces three weeks ago.
After honoring their fourteen seniors before the game, the Rebels started quickly and were in the endzone on their first drive after a 5-yard scoring run by Ja’Twan Graham. However, the 2-point conversion would be unsuccessful, and after an 8-yard touchdown run by Andrew Munster the Cougars, winners of four of five, led 8-6 with 4:58 left in the opening quarter.
After a failed fake punt by the Rebels, Munster was soon back in the endzone on a 3-yard plunge and McLean County led 14-6 after the first quarter.
Todd County looked poised to put points on the board early in the second with a 2nd and goal from the 14-yard line, but Bryce Nolan’s pass was intercepted in the endzone by McLean’s Landen Capps to end the threat. Nolan was back under center after missing last week’s win over Butler County through injury.
McLean County’s Peyton Caraway blew the game open over the final 5 minutes of the half, running for a 35-yard touchdown to stretch the lead to two scores, before taking a direct snap and hitting Brady Dame for a back-breaking 83-yard touchdown and a 30-6 advantage with just :15 until halftime.
The lead was 32 points with 7:26 left in the third after Connor Baldwin rumbled 31 yards to the endzone on a 4th and 3, but the Rebels would show signs of life with two scores to close the quarter.
Nolan took it himself from 3 yards out with 2:57 on the clock, before finding Preston Moore for 35 yards and a touchdown. Moore was hit at the 1, before fighting through two Cougars to find his way over the line as the horn sounded to end the quarter.
There would only be a single score over the final 12 minutes, with McLean capping the victory on a Capps touchdown with 7:30 to play for the final 26-point margin.
With a bye week coming up, Todd County Central has a couple of weeks of practice time before closing the regular season at Crittenden County on November 1.
