Fox, Lipa Lead Mt. Zion Past MacArthur in 35

Connor Fox accounted for five touchdowns, Brody Lipa caught three touchdown passes, and Mt. Zion used a decisive third quarter to defeat Decatur MacArthur 35–29 in Friday night’s playoff matchup.

The Braves overcame a one-point halftime deficit with 14 unanswered points in the third quarter, then held off a fourth-quarter push by the Generals to keep their postseason run alive.

Fox led Mt. Zion through the air and on the ground, completing 13 of 21 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 86 yards and two scores on 17 carries. Lipa was his leading target, finishing with seven receptions for 115 yards and all three of the Braves’ receiving touchdowns.

Mt. Zion opened the scoring with 6:43 remaining in the first quarter when Fox connected with Lipa for a 17-yard touchdown. Declan Woosley’s extra point gave the Braves a 7–0 lead.

MacArthur answered with its explosive rushing attack. Damonte’ Phillips broke loose for a 29-yard touchdown, and Aidan Bruce added the extra point to tie the game at 7–7. Phillips struck again with 8:48 remaining in the second quarter, racing 47 yards for his second touchdown to put the Generals ahead 14–7.

Fox responded with two rushing touchdowns to swing the lead back to Mt. Zion. His 1-yard scoring run tied the game with 6:28 left in the half, and a 23-yard touchdown run less than two minutes later helped give the Braves a 21–14 advantage.

The Generals delivered another big play before halftime. Antonio Young’s pass found Kamryn Stokes on a tipped-ball reception that became a 58-yard touchdown with 50 seconds remaining. Stokes then ran in the two-point conversion, sending MacArthur into the break with a 22–21 lead.

Mt. Zion regained control in the third quarter behind the Fox-to-Lipa connection.

With 9:53 remaining, Lipa turned a short reception into a 45-yard touchdown, putting the Braves back in front. The pair connected again for a 16-yard score with 7:09 left in the quarter. Woosley’s extra points extended Mt. Zion’s lead to 35–22.

Those two touchdowns proved to be the difference, as the Braves kept MacArthur off the scoreboard throughout the third quarter.

The Generals continued to battle in the fourth. Cayden Brown scored on a 20-yard run with 6:56 remaining, and Bruce’s extra point trimmed the deficit to 35–29. MacArthur drew within one possession, but Mt. Zion surrendered no further points to secure the six-point victory.

Kellen Bollhorst provided a steady presence in the Braves’ backfield, rushing for a game-high 118 yards on 22 carries. Together, Bollhorst and Fox helped Mt. Zion finish with 204 rushing yards. Jaxon Good added five receptions for 42 yards, while Henry Toth contributed a 2-yard catch.

Brown paced MacArthur with 100 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Phillips added 76 yards and two touchdowns on seven attempts, accounting for both of the Generals’ first-half rushing scores.

Young completed four of 12 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. Brown added a 9-yard completion, while Stokes finished with three catches for 87 yards and a score.

Defensively, Caanan Trimble recorded an interception for Mt. Zion, and Kyrie Jackson intercepted a pass for MacArthur. The Braves also recorded three sacks, while the Generals finished with two. On special teams, Woosley converted all five of his extra-point attempts, and Bruce went three-for-three.

In a game that featured repeated lead changes and explosive plays from both offenses, Mt. Zion’s third-quarter surge supplied the separation it needed. The Braves advance in the playoffs, while MacArthur’s season ends after a competitive performance on the road.