The Mt. Zion Braves struggled to slow an explosive Mahomet-Seymour offense Friday night, falling behind early before showing some late life in a 44-14 loss.
Mahomet-Seymour controlled much of the first three quarters, building a 37-0 advantage before adding another touchdown early in the fourth. Mt. Zion refused to go quietly, however, as quarterback Noah Schmahl connected with Jaxon Good for two long touchdown passes in the final quarter to put the Braves on the scoreboard.
Mahomet-Seymour wasted little time establishing its offense. Just 28 seconds into the game, quarterback Konner Fisher connected with Noah Snyder for a 65-yard touchdown, giving the Bulldogs an immediate 7-0 advantage.
The Bulldogs added to their lead later in the first when Cody Moen scored on a five-yard run, sending Mt. Zion into the second quarter trailing 14-0.
Mahomet-Seymour continued creating explosive plays before halftime. Fisher found Bryson Tiefenthaler for a 44-yard touchdown early in the second quarter, and Marco Casillas followed with a six-yard rushing score. The Bulldogs converted two-point attempts following both touchdowns, building a 30-0 halftime advantage.
Mt. Zion’s defense managed to slow the scoring pace coming out of halftime, but Moen eventually broke through for his second touchdown of the night, scoring from seven yards out with 8:36 remaining in the third quarter to extend the deficit to 37-0.
The Braves’ offense had difficulty establishing its ground game against the Mahomet-Seymour defense. Mt. Zion was held to just three net rushing yards on 22 attempts, forcing the Braves to rely heavily on their passing attack.
Mahomet-Seymour added its final touchdown with 9:24 remaining in the fourth quarter when Fisher connected with Casillas for a 75-yard touchdown, pushing the lead to 44-0.
Then Mt. Zion’s passing game came alive.
Just 40 seconds later, Schmahl found Good for a 77-yard touchdown, giving the Braves their first points of the night. Declan Woosley converted the extra point to make it 44-7.
The Schmahl-to-Good connection struck again with 4:41 remaining. This time, the duo connected for a 65-yard touchdown, with Woosley adding another successful extra point to bring the game to its final score of 44-14.
Despite the loss, Mt. Zion found considerable production through the air. Schmahl completed 15 of 29 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, while Connor Fox completed five of six attempts for another 68 yards. The Braves finished with 322 passing yards as a team.
Good turned in the biggest individual performance for Mt. Zion, hauling in 10 receptions for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Brody Lipa added three receptions for 58 yards, Sam Toth caught three passes for 50 yards and Holden Wirey contributed three catches for 33 yards.
Mahomet-Seymour, meanwhile, finished with a balanced 478 yards of total offense, including 186 on the ground and 292 through the air. Moen led the rushing attack with 125 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, while Casillas added 74 rushing yards and accounted for two total touchdowns. Fisher completed 13 of 25 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns.
While the final margin favored Mahomet-Seymour, Mt. Zion’s two explosive fourth-quarter touchdowns provided a strong finish to an otherwise difficult night. The Braves showed their ability to generate big plays through the air, but the early deficit and Mahomet-Seymour’s balanced offensive attack ultimately proved too much to overcome in the 44-14 final.
