Marceline Tiger Takeaways Propel Quarterfinal Victory

Marceline defeated South Callaway 20-7 in the state quarterfinals at South Callaway Saturday. The Tigers won the turnover battle 6-0, including a takeaway with three minutes left in the first quarter.

Eric Duick with the call of the Freddie Bascus fumble recovery in the end zone as the Tigers grabbed a 6-0 lead. South Callaway previously stormed deep into Marceline territory on the game’s first possession, but the Bulldogs then surrendered the first of five fumbles. Tiger sophomore Wyatt Molloy also intercepted a pass to seal the game. Marceline head coach Mark Ross explained the takeaways.

Ross further evaluated a Marceline defense that held a potent South Callaway backfield to about 200 rushing yards.

In the middle of the second quarter, Marceline’s Cullen Bruner caught a 41-yard receiver pass then rushed in from the one on the next play. Bruner later scored on a seven-yard run in the fourth quarter and kicked the extra point for a 20-0 advantage. Ross reacted to the senior’s performance.

Bruner rushed for an unofficial 65 yards along with 82 receiving yards. A Bruner punt pinned South Callaway at the three before Bascus recovered the fumble for a touchdown. 6-7 South Callaway produced its lone touchdown on Cole Shoemaker’s 11-yard pass to Jasper Rees with less than two minutes left. 12-1 Marceline’s 10th straight victory earned the Tigers a state semifinal trip to undefeated Lincoln Saturday. Semifinal coverage starts at 12:40pm on 99.9 The Captain and centralmoinfo.com. Hear Marceline head coach Mark Ross’ full postgame interview below.

Marceline head coach Mark Ross: