The Mt. Zion Braves delivered a commanding performance Friday night, jumping out to a four-touchdown lead in the opening quarter and rolling to a 49-14 victory over Mattoon.
Unfortunately, ILSportsWire was unable to attend Friday night’s game and provide our usual highlight videos from the matchup. However, using the official game statistics provided from the contest, the Braves put together an impressive performance on both sides of the football, finishing with 387 yards of total offense while holding Mattoon to just 107.
Mt. Zion wasted little time taking control. Kellen Bollhorst opened the scoring with a four-yard touchdown run at the 9:08 mark of the first quarter. Less than three minutes later, Bollhorst found the end zone again, this time from five yards out, to give the Braves a 14-0 advantage.
The passing game then took over. Quarterback Noah Schmahl connected with Jaxon Good for a 27-yard touchdown with 3:17 remaining in the opening quarter. Schmahl followed that with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Brody Lipa with 59 seconds left, completing a 28-point first quarter for Mt. Zion. Declan Woosley converted the extra point following all four scores.
Mattoon managed its first response midway through the second quarter when quarterback Brayden Hackett connected with Carson Kimbro for a 13-yard touchdown, cutting Mt. Zion’s advantage to 28-7.
The Braves answered before halftime. With just 33 seconds remaining, Connor Fox connected with Sam Toth for a 36-yard touchdown, sending Mt. Zion into the break with a commanding 35-7 lead.
Mt. Zion continued to control the game after halftime. Schmahl and Good connected for their second touchdown of the night with 6:07 remaining in the third quarter, this time from 23 yards out, extending the Braves’ advantage to 42-7.
The Braves added their final touchdown early in the fourth when Travon Street powered into the end zone from 10 yards out. Woosley’s seventh successful extra point of the night made it 49-7. Mattoon added a late touchdown on a 12-yard Hackett run before the game reached its final score of 49-14.
The final statistics reflected just how balanced Mt. Zion’s offense was throughout the night. The Braves finished with 127 rushing yards and 238 passing yards, recording 19 first downs compared with Mattoon’s 11. Mt. Zion averaged 6.1 yards per offensive play and did not throw an interception.
Schmahl turned in an efficient performance under center, completing 14 of 19 passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Fox added another strong showing through the air, completing 5 of 8 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown. Altogether, Mt. Zion’s quarterbacks finished 20-of-28 for 238 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.
Good was Schmahl’s primary target and delivered one of the night’s strongest individual performances. He hauled in eight receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Toth added four catches for 80 yards and a score, while Lipa finished with three receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown.
On the ground, Street led the Braves with 75 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Fox contributed 46 yards on six attempts, while Bollhorst made the most of his five carries, rushing for 33 yards and two touchdowns.
Mt. Zion’s defense was equally effective in limiting Mattoon’s offense. The Green Wave managed only 17 net rushing yards on 29 attempts and 102 yards through the air. The Braves also recorded three sacks for a combined loss of 40 yards and recovered both of Mattoon’s fumbles.
From the opening quarter forward, Mt. Zion established control and never allowed Mattoon to seriously threaten its advantage. Seven touchdowns, a balanced offensive attack and a defense that surrendered just 107 total yards combined to produce a convincing 49-14 victory for the Braves.
