Outside The County-Maconaquah

Results from Maconaquah for Friday, September 15th

Late TD lifts Peru past Braves, 27-26

The Maconaquah Braves fell to the Peru Tigers Friday night, 27-26, in a Three Rivers Conference slugfest before a packed crowd.

Peru, now 5-0, and ranked 11th in the latest AP poll, overcame a 26-6 deficit to claim the win and remain unbeaten (4-0) in league play.  The Braves are now 3-2 overall and dropped to 3-1 in the TRC.  Mac will travel to North Miami Friday night for another conference contest.


The Braves defense set the tone early in the game when Gavin Nethercutt's hard hit forced a Peru fumble with Jacob Isley recovering the loose pigskin.  


 Maconaquah took over at the 8:59 mark and quickly moved downfield with quarterback Braxton Birner connecting on six passes to five different receivers during an 85-yard scoring drive.  Junior Fuddy Kile, the state's fourth-leading receiver going into the game, gave Mac its first lead with a nice 27-yard TD catch on a fourth-and-five play with 5:09 showing.  Birner hit AJ Kelly on the conversion for an 8-0 lead.


 Mac's defense set up the next Brave score when Isley and Kelly stuffed Peru's quarterback in the final minute of the first quarter.  After Birner connected with Kaleb Shelton for a first down, DJ Elliott had the catch of the night with an over-the-head 42-yard reception to the one.  Birner followed a host of blockers up the middle from there for a 14-0 lead at the start of the second periond.


 Peru took the ensuing kickoff and marched 54 yards in eight plays to trim Mac's lead to 14-6 at the 9:09 mark.  


  The Braves next possession came up empty after reaching Peru's 17 as a pair of penalties and incomplete pass halted the drive midway through the period.  After forcing a punt, Maconaquah got the ball back at its own 27 and started another march towards paydirt.


 Birner first hit Shelton, then hooked up with Kelly on two, good for a first down.  After Elliott caught the next two passes, Kile grabbed one for a first down at the Tiger 49.  Elliott's 49-yard TD reception with 2:49 left in the half gave the hosts a 20-6 lead at intermission.  Elliott lead all receivers with a career-high 118 yards on six catches.


 Peru took the second half kickoff and reached Maconaquah's 38-yard line before Brady Dausch scooped one of five Peru fumbles and darted 62 yards to paydirt.  The Braves led 26-6 with 7:34 left in the third stanza after failing on the conversion attempt.


 Trailing 26-6, Peru scored on its next three possessions after forcing a punt, recovering an onsides kick and watching a 39-yard field goal attempt by Mac's Nolan Tarrh come up short.


 Down 27-26 with 71 seconds remaining, the Braves had one final chance reaching midfield before a holding penalty, two incompletions and interception ended the game.


 Birner finished the night with 303 yards, completing 25 of 39 passes.  It was his 10th 300+ yard game of his career.   Besides Elliott's game-high 118 yards, Kile and Kelly added 90 and 60 respectively.


 Dausch and Shelton led Brave tacklers with 13 stops apiece.  Kelly was credited with 11 tackles followed by Nethercutt (10), Austin Ringeisen (9), Isley (9) and Eli Price (8).