The Mt. Zion Braves put together an explosive offensive performance Friday night, scoring 42 points in the second quarter alone on their way to a commanding 63-14 victory over Charleston.
Mt. Zion found the end zone nine times in the contest and finished with 452 yards of total offense, while its defense forced four Charleston turnovers and held the Trojans to just 32 passing yards. 25-09-2026-(Mt. Zion Varsity vs…
The Braves opened the scoring midway through the first quarter when Connor Fox ran eight yards for a touchdown. Declan Woosley converted the extra point to give Mt. Zion a 7-0 advantage, which held through the end of the opening quarter. 25-09-2026-(Mt. Zion Varsity vs…
Then came a second-quarter offensive explosion.
Fox opened the quarter by connecting with Sam Toth for a five-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 14-0. Less than two minutes later, Fox made his presence felt on the defensive side of the football, intercepting a Charleston pass and returning it 65 yards for a touchdown.
The Braves continued pouring it on when Noah Schmahl found Henry Toth for a 20-yard touchdown, followed by Travon Street punching in a one-yard rushing score. In a matter of minutes, Mt. Zion’s advantage had grown to 35-0.
Charleston finally broke through when Treylin Couch raced 45 yards for a touchdown, but Mt. Zion answered almost immediately.
Fox connected with Brody Lipa for a 45-yard touchdown just 26 seconds later. The duo struck again before halftime, this time on a 57-yard touchdown pass, sending the Braves into the locker room with a commanding 49-7 lead.
Fox was at the center of Mt. Zion’s dominant first half. The senior finished the night completing 9 of 10 passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing five times for 50 yards and a score. Combined with his 65-yard interception return, Fox accounted for five touchdowns in three different ways — three passing, one rushing and one defensive.
Mt. Zion continued adding to its lead after halftime. Street scored his second touchdown of the night on a 17-yard run late in the third quarter, making it 56-7.
Schmahl then connected with Holden Wirey for an 11-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to complete Mt. Zion’s scoring. Charleston added a 15-yard touchdown run from CJ Patterson with 10 seconds remaining, bringing the game to its 63-14 final.
The Braves were extremely efficient through the air. Along with Fox’s three touchdown passes, Schmahl completed 12 of 17 attempts for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Together, Mt. Zion’s quarterbacks went 21-of-27 for 302 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.
Lipa delivered the biggest receiving performance of the night, catching four passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Wirey finished with three receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown, while Sam Toth recorded seven catches for 35 yards and a score. Henry Toth added two receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown.
Mt. Zion also found balance on the ground. Street led the Braves with 52 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, Fox added 50 yards and a touchdown on five attempts, and Kellen Bollhorst contributed 48 yards on 10 carries. The Braves finished with 150 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Defensively, the Braves helped turn the game into a rout by creating turnovers. Fox and Connor Crafton each recorded interceptions, with Fox taking his back for the second-quarter touchdown. Mt. Zion also recovered two Charleston fumbles.
By the end of the night, Mt. Zion had produced 23 first downs, 452 total yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 8.5 yards per offensive play. The Braves never punted and converted all nine of their extra-point attempts.
After scoring just 14 points in the previous week’s loss to Mahomet-Seymour, Mt. Zion’s offense responded in a major way against Charleston. A 42-point second quarter turned an early 7-0 advantage into a 49-7 halftime lead, and the Braves never looked back on their way to the 63-14 victory.
