After suffering tough losses to Elmwood/Brimfield over the past two seasons (52-8 in 2023 and 31-28 last season), Macomb High gained a measure of revenge last Friday night as the Bombers dismantled the Trojans 42-13 on Senior Night at MHS Stadium.
MHS improved to 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the LincolnLand Large division while E/B fell to 3-3 in league play and 3-5 on the season.
“(E/B) has had our number for three of the last four years,” said MHS head coach Tanner Horrell. “Two years ago, they came in with our backs against the wall trying to make the playoffs and they beat us by 50. Last year, they beat us by three.”
“We wanted to get back at them and I think we did a pretty good job of that,” he added.
The Bombers upended the Trojans’ opening drive when running back Myles Alger was stopped short of a first down at the E/B 47 to turn the ball over to MHS.
The Bombers needed only six plays to get on the scoreboard as quarterback Kaden Knupp combined with wide receiver Drew Watson on a 23-yard touchdown toss with 6:48 to go in the opening quarter.
Hayden Katz kicked the PAT to make it a 7-0 game.
The Trojans would give the ball back to MHS deep in its own territory a short time later after an errant punt snap on fourth down gave the Bombers the ball at the E/B 17.
It took MHS just three plays to increase its lead as running back Jeshua McPeeters powered into the endzone for a two-yard touchdown at the 3:51 mark of the first quarter.
Katz added the PAT to put MHS up 14-0.
MHS struck quickly once again after Kyler Norton recovered an onside kick at the E/B 44. The Bombers needed only one play to capitalize as Knupp hit Norton on a 44-yard touchdown pass with 3:41 left in the quarter.
Katz converted the PAT to make it a 21-0 lead after one quarter.
The Trojans’ started to come alive on their next possession but were stopped on downs at the MHS 41 early in the second quarter.
The Bombers proceeded to march 59 yards and struck paydirt when Knupp hit Watson on a 37-yard touchdown pass with 10:01 remaining in the first half.
Katz added the PAT to make it 28-0.
MHS got the ball back a short time later after stopping E/B on downs at the MHS 46.
The Bombers put together a 12-play scoring drive that ended when Knupp ran into the endzone on a one-yard plunge with 2:55 to go in the half.
Katz kicked his fifth PAT of the half to extend the MHS advantage to 35-0.
The Bombers came close to adding another score before halftime when Nolan Hoge picked off a pass by E/B quarterback Evan Patterson deep in MHS territory. On the next play, Knupp broke loose on an apparent 93-yard touchdown scramble, but a holding penalty negated the run as the half ended one play later.
MHS took the opening drive of the second half and went 72 yards on 10 plays. Knupp scored on a 14-yard run with 8:11 left in the third quarter and after another PAT by Katz, the Bombers had their largest lead of the night at 42-0.
With the running clock rule in effect, E/B put together a 14-play drive that covered 83 yards capped by running back Noah Newman’s four-yard touchdown run with 11:15 to go in the game.
The PAT was no good leaving the score at 42-6.
The Trojans would get the ball back one more time in the quarter and scored when Baron Case barreled in from five-yards out with only 2:18 remaining.
Beau Grunow added the PAT to account for the final score.
Running back Drake May led the MHS ground attack with 103 yards on 17 carries while Knupp finished with three carries for 44 yards and two touchdowns.
Knupp completed 8-of-15 passes for 162 yards and three scores as Watson led the receivers with five catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns.
On defense, Blaze Howell recorded 11 total tackles, followed by May with 10. McPheeters and Camren Singleton added seven apiece.
MHS was scheduled to host LVC in the regular season finale this week, but the Miners (0-8, 0-6 Lincoln-Land Large) are forfeiting the contest due to low numbers and injuries.
It is not known if the Bombers will have an opponent to play this coming week.
Horrell knows the importance of finishing on a winning note as MHS strives to earn an opening round home playoff contest.
“In (Class) 4A, it looks like if that’s where we go, it’s most likely to be 8-1 to get a (home) playoff game...maybe 7-2, but we don’t want to leave that up to chance,” said Horrell.
“So we need to take care of business next week and continue to work on fundamentals.”
Jeshua McPheetrs (31) leads for Drake May.
