Aiming to complete an unbeaten run through the LincolnLand West Division, the Macomb High Bombers experienced some early turbulence Friday night against host Elmwood/ Brimfield.
But the Bombers maintained their poise and weathered the early storm before easing their way to a 42-6 victory at Richard Whitney Athletic Field.
Macomb finished the regular season 8-1 overall, 4-0 in LincolnLand West play.
Elmwood/Brimfield wrapped up its regular season 4-5 overall, 1-3 in West Division contests.
The Trojans drove 65 yards in nine plays on their opening drive to take an early 6-0 lead.
Myles Alger had five carries for 41 yards on the drive, but it was quarterback Cody Burge’s 10-yard keeper that gave the home team the early lead at the 8:16 mark of the opening quarter.
The lead lasted only 49 seconds. A 34-yard kickoff return by Tyler Schulz gave the Bombers possession at their own 36. Two plays later, Drake Taber, subbing for Drake May, broke free for a 54-yard touchdown run.
Hayden Katz booted the first of his six point-after-touchdown kicks that gave MHS a 7-6 lead at the 7:27 mark.
After picking up one first down on their possession, a holding penalty was followed by a Burge fumble that was recovered by Macomb’s Colby Martin at the Trojans 24.
Three plays later, Taber scored on a 14-yard run with the Katz PAT giving the Bombers a 14-6 lead with 4:08 to go in the opening period.
Elmwood/Brimfield reached the Macomb 31 on its next possession as the first quarter ended. However a procedure penalty pushed the Trojans back five yards into a fourth-and-11 situation from the Bomber 36. An incomplete pass followed, with the Trojans turning the ball over on downs.
MHS then drove 64 yards in six plays.
Aided by a personal foul penalty for grabbing the face mask against the Trojans, Martin capped the drive with a 25-yard TD run.
The PAT gave the Bombers a 21-6 lead with 10:21 left before halftime.
The Macomb defense then made the next big play with Taber recovering a Liam Newman fumble at the Bomber 39.
A 41-yard pass play from Kaden Knupp to Kyler Norton set up a seven- yard TD run by Carter Havens.
The Katz PAT upped the MHS lead to 28-6 with 7:04 remaining before intermission.
Macomb had a chance to add on to its lead before the break, but Katz was short on a 46-yard field goal attempt. leaving the Bombers with a 28-6 halftime lead.
The Bombers opened the second half with a nine-play, 71-yard drive.
A pass interference penalty against Elmwood/Brimfield, followed by a 17-yard run by Taber gave the Bombers possession at the Trojan 19.
Four plays later, Martin scored on an 11 -yard run with the PAT giving MHS a 35-6 lead at the 8:16 mark.
The MHS defense forced a Trojan punt, but Knupp fumbled on the next Bomber series with Nathan DeSplinter recovering for the hosts at the Macomb 10.
But the MHS defense held its ground, forcing a turnover on downs at the Bomber 7.
A procedure penalty pushed Macomb back to its own 4-yard line, but a 10-yard run by Jeshua McPheeters was followed by three consecutive pass completions by Knupp.
He connected with Norton for 29 yards, followed by a 9-yard completion to Nick Elbe and a 29-yard pitch-andcatch to Havens as the third quarter ended.
Two plays into the fourth quarter, a Macomb fumble was recovered by Kouper Martin at the Trojan 22.
But Schulz intercepted Burge on the following play and the Bombers regained possession at the Elmwood/ Brimfield 44.
Four running plays netted 38 yards before Knupp and Norton connected for a 6-yard score with 8:29 remaining.
Katz’s final PAT closed out the game’s scoring.
Macomb finished the game with 413 yards of total offense.
Taber recorded 123 yards rushing on 10 carries, while Martin added 108 yards on 10 carries with both players scoring twice.
As a team, MHS finished with 262 yards rushing on 30 carries.
Through the air, Knupp was 12-of-15 for 151 yards and a TD.
Norton had eight catches for 104 yards and a score, while Havens added two catches for 35 yards.
Defensively, McPheeters finished with right total tackles, followed by Schulz, Norton and Cameron Keene with seven apiece.
Taber and Kyler Steele added six each, with May, Eli McClure and Charlie Bodiford recording five apiece.
After its opening drive, Elmwood/Brimfield was held to just 90 yards in its final 37 plays.
All of Elmwood/Brimfield’s 155 yards came on the ground.
Alger had 63 yards rushing on 17 carries, while Logan Estes added 53 yards on 15 carries.
Burge was 0-for-3 passing with one interception.
Both teams found out their playoff fates Saturday night with the Illinois High School Association releasing its playoff pairings for all eight classes.
In Class 3A, Macomb receives an opening-round bye and will host either No. 21 seed Eureka (4-5) or No. 12 seed Paris (7-2) the weekend of Oct. 30-31. Those two teams will play in Paris on Oct. 24 at 2 p.m.
Macomb is the No. 5 seed in the southern half of the bracket.
In Class 2A, Elmwood/ Brimfield opens play at
