In an action-packed game filled with penalties and high emotions, Apollo pulled away in the second half to beat Marshall County 54-27 at home Friday night, securing the Eagles a spot in the playoffs.
“Both teams were fighting for a playoff spot,” said head coach John Edge. “We had to be on our toes at all times, ready to go. I’m proud of our team.”
Defensive stops were scarce in the first half, with both teams scoring on nearly every possession.
The Eagles (4-5) showed they had an aggressive mentality early, converting a 4th-and-1 from near midfield on their opening drive. A 25-yard pass from Max Johnson to John Milburn, Landen Bratcher caught a short pass, shook a tackle, and trotted into the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown. The extra point attempt was wide left, leaving the Eagles’ lead at 6-0.
A big kickoff return put Marshall County (3-6) on the Apollo 36, and a few plays later they scored on a 1-yard quarterback keeper. Their only lead came by converting the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 7:38 to play in the quarter, but it was short-lived.
Less than a minute later, Apollo’s Johnson escaped the pocket and scrambled for a 29-yard touchdown. A failed 2-point conversion attempt left the Eagles with a 12-0 lead.
Marshall County couldn’t get anything going on the ensuing drive. Johnson then floated a 25-yard pass to Williams, who dove backward to make the catch in the end zone.
The Marshals added a field goal to cut their deficit to 19-10 late in the first quarter. The first play of the second quarter was a 15-yard touchdown run by Milburn for a 26-10 Apollo lead.
Marshall County then made their best push to regain control. A 61-yard carry sets up a 5-yard TD run, and after forcing Apollo to punt for the first time, the Marshals used a long drive to reach the end zone again. That cut the Eagles’ lead to 26-24, a score that held until halftime.
The Apollo defense came up big in the second half, starting with Nile Board hauling in an interception on the first drive for the Marshals.
Both teams then turned the ball over on downs on botched 4th-down plays. Apollo capitalized on the short field by going up 33-24 with a 7-yard touchdown waltz by Board.
The Marshals scored for the last time on a field goal early in the 4th quarter, getting with 33-24.
The Eagles created some breathing room with an 84-yard drive that ended with an 11-yard touchdown run by Board with 7:59 to play. The Eagles put it out of reach with a quick touchdown after Marshall turned it over on downs on the Apollo 37-yeard-line, and they added one more trip to the end zone when Tavius Walker scooped up a fumble and returned it about 30 yards to paydirt. Apollo’s Ehmadjai Badger intercepted a pass in the Marshall end zone with 35 seconds to play.
“Our offense did a great job, and our defense in the second half basically shut them out except for that field goal,” Edge said.
The win secured Apoll the No. 4 see in Class 5A District 1. They’ll wrap up the regular season this week with a rivalry matchup at Daviess County.
“We got in the playoffs again, but our biggest thing is we’ve got Daviess County next week,” Edge said. “That’s a big rivalry, and it’s a game that our kids are looking forward to.”
