By Chad Hayworth (For Ozarkssportzone.com)
CARL JUNCTION – Four touchdowns from senior Marcus Lopez-Durman wasn’t enough for Carl Junction on Friday night, as Logan-Rogersville’s potent offense got back on track just in time and mounted a game-winning drive with just under 5 minutes left to play.
The 41-34 victory keeps the Wildcats undefeated in both Ozark Mountain Conference play and overall, while the Bulldogs drop their first game of the season.
Tied at 34 with just under eight minutes to play, the Wildcats mounted an eight-play, 70-yard drive that culminated in a 16-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Sam Frieze to senior receiver Cash Clark, giving Rogersville a one touchdown advantage with 4:50 remaining.
Rogersville’s defense had struggled all evening to contain Lopez-Durman, who had been averaging nearly six yards per carry. But the Wildcats held him to just two yards on third and 3 from his own 36-yard line, setting up a fourth-down showdown that would prove to be the ballgame.
Taking the ball on fourth and 1, Lopez-Durman hit the line, was stopped, and spun to his left looking for the three feet he needed for a first down. But a gang of Wildcat tacklers met him, held strong and stopped him short of the line to gain.
A fourth-down conversion by the Wildcats sealed the victory, when Frieze hit Gage Hale for 12 yards near the Wildcat sideline.
“It was just a great football game,” said Rogersville Coach Joel Wells. “Both teams battled it out to the finish. We were just lucky to make one more play than they did.”
Rogersville opened the game with Frieze completing four of five passes, including a 2-yard connection with Jack Cole for an early 7-0 lead.
The Bulldogs responded with an eight-play, 65-yard drive of their own, capped by Lopez-Durman’s two-yard rumble into the end zone to tie the game at 7.
The Wildcats overcame penalty after penalty and kept the ensuing drive moving, until Frieze found himself under pressure near the Bulldog 40-yard line. He tried to get the pass through the arms of the Carl Junction defenders chasing him down, but the ball was tipped and fell into the hands of freshman lineman Kage Stewart, who ran the ball back for pick 6 touchdown and a 13-7 Bulldog lead.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Those would be the last points Carl Junction scored in the half.
Frieze completed another five passes, including four in a row, and found Ben Bisher for an 18-yard touchdown strike, giving Rogersville a 14-13 lead with 25 second to play in the first quarter.
“Sam had a big ball game for us, we threw the ball extremely well,” Wells said. “But shoutout to Ben Bisher, who had some huge catches for us when we had to have them.”
The Wildcats got a defensive stop near midfield early in the second half, forcing a punt attempt. But the snap was high and by the time the Bulldogs tracked the ball down, Rogersville was in business at the Carl Junction 21-yard line. A 16-yard pass from Frieze to Bisher gave the Wildcats first and goal at the 3-yard line, and junior Carl Westerling pushed the ball over the line for a 21-13 lead.
A three-and-out from the Bulldogs forced another punt, giving Rogersville the ball with 6:27 to play in the half. The Wildcats ripped off seven straight runs, including Joe Roche’s 26-yard dash to the end zone for a 27-13 lead.
Late in the half, the Bulldogs got inside the Wildcat 10-yard line, but missed a field goal with 3 seconds left, sending them to the locker room down two scores.
Carl Junction cut the lead to 27-20 to open the second half with a quick four-play, 61-yard drive, thanks in part to 30 yards of Wildcat penalties on a single play. Receiver Bryant Hanks was hit out of bounds after a 10-yard catch to his own 42-yard line. Rogersville was flagged for the late hit, along with a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that gave Carl Junction a first and 10 from the Wildcat 17-yard line.
A play later, Lopez-Durman got loose and scored.
Rogersville answered with a nine-play, 72-yard drive that culminated in Roche’s second touchdown of the night on a 1-yard dive, pushing the lead back to a two-score margin at 34-20.
“He’s a really hard runner,” Wells said. “This is the first year he’s really ever played running back. He’s always been a quarterback. He helped us a ton tonight.”
Three straight Lopez-Durman runs on the ensuing Carl Junction drive – along with a Rogersville face mask penalty – cut the lead back to one score at 34-27 with 5:56 to play in the third.
An interception as the Wildcats were marching downfield was Frieze’s only glaring mistake of the night, and it gave Carl Junction the ball back late in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs held the ball for 16 plays, as Lopez-Durman ground down the Rogersville defense. He carried the ball 11 plays on that drive alone, including a 1-yard smash for a touchdown that tied the game at 34.
Lopez-Durman finished the night with 170 yards on 29 carries to lead all rushers.
Frieze compiled 279 passing yards, completing 25 of 31 attempts, with two interceptions. Hale finished with 10 catches for 179 yards, while Bisher had five catches for 70 yards, and Clark caught nine balls for 64 yards.
Roche led the Wildcats with 141 yards rushing on 24 carries. Frieze had 40 yards on seven attempts and Clark added 22 on five carries.
Carl Junction quarterback Mason Gilbert completed 11 of 20 attempts for 104 yards and one interception. His favorite target was Gage Soole, who caught five balls for 55 yards.
Rogersville returns home next week to face Parkview, while Carl Junction will be on the road at Hillcrest.
