The Todd County Central football team didn’t get the start to the 2024 season it was looking for on Friday. Instead, for the second year in a row the Rebels found themselves on the wrong end of a matchup with Monroe County in a 44-13 loss to the visiting Falcons.
Todd Central quarterback Eli Morgan was picked off by Monroe’s Briar Bourque, the start of a big night for the Falcon sophomore, and after a halfback pass off a reverse, Bourque made it 6-0 with a 55-yard TD reception.
Aidan Bobbett’s interception of Monroe QB Branson Williams gave the Rebels some momentum, but the drive stalled and ended up in a sack on 4th down at the Monroe 24-yard line.
The Falcons doubled their advantage early in the second quarter when Jarred Denton hauled in a pass over the middle on 4th and 11 from the Rebel 17. Monroe again missed the extra point and settled for a 12-0 lead.
On the ensuing possession, Todd County extended its drive with a pass interference penalty and a 4th-down conversion ahead of a 2-yard plunge into the endzone by Jamir Brewer to get the Rebels on the scoreboard. The PAT was good to trim the Monroe lead to 12-7.
However, the Falcons wasted little time restoring a two-possession cushion when Bourque added his second TD on a 49-yard screen pass. Monroe again failed to add points after a failed two-point conversion for an 18-7 score.
With time running down on the first half, Monroe County took control of the game for good when Williams kept it around the right side to score from seven yards out and send the Falcons into the break with a 17-point lead.
Travis Wood’s 28-yard TD reception on Monroe’s first drive of the second half put Todd Central in a deeper hole. But Brian Farlow gave the Rebels some life when he took a screen pass and motored down the left sideline for a 38-yard score. The PAT was blocked, and the score was 31-13 after three quarters.
It was all Monroe County in the final quarter to close out the win. Bourque capped his three-TD night with a short run on 3rd down to extend the margin to 24 points, and Griffin Spears rounded out the scoring when he took a toss up the middle for a 13-yard TD run. The Falcons again couldn’t steer the extra point between the posts for the final 31-point margin.
The Rebels will try to avoid a 2-0 start next week when they welcome Ohio County to Elkton. The Eagles started the season with a 44-6 setback to McLean County.
