Outside The County-Maconaquah
Results from Maconaquah for Friday, September 22nd and Saturday, September 23rd
Braves damper North Miami homecoming with 41-0 shutout
The Maconaquah Braves scored on their four first possessions Friday night and went on to spoil North Miami’s homecoming, 41-0, in Three Rivers Conference warfare.
The Braves are now 4-2 on the year (4-1 TRC) and will host Lewis Cass on Senior Night Friday. North Miami dropped to 1-4 in league play and is now 1-5 this season. Maconaquah leads the all-time series, 26-13-1.
It was business as usual for the Braves in the first half as senior quarterback Braxton Birner's pin-point accuracy accounted for Mac's first three scores. He threw touchdown passes to Fuddy Kile (21 yards), Kaleb Shelton (five yards) and AJ Kelly (14 yards) as the Braves bolted to a 21-0 lead with 7:51 left in the first half. Kile's TD catch moved him past Phillip Garnett into fifth place on Maconaquah's career scoring list with 174 points.
Birner broke his own single-game school record for accuracy (.929), hitting on 13 of 14 passes before turning things over to freshman Aiden Robinson in the fourth period.
Birner's six-yard scoring scamper at the 3:48 mark ended the first half scoring. Freshman Nolan Tarrh was perfect on all four PAT kicks as Maconaquah took a 28-0 into the lockerrom at intermission.
Mac's defense held North Miami to 113 yards of total offense in the first half and set up the Braves second TD when Brady Dausch forced a fumble recovered by Ryley Rodkey. The Braves had a fifth TD called back by penalty after Kelly returned an interception 80 yards for an apparent score. NM would gain only 67 yards in the second half as the Braves finished with their first shutout in the past two years, forcing four Warrior turnovers during the game.
The Braves got the ball back just five seconds into the third stanza when Rodkey pounced on a loose ball at the Warrior 27 on the NM kickoff return to start the half. After Birner lost five yards, Shelton darted up the middle to paydirt from 32 yards out for his second score of the night. Tarrh's PAT boot made it 35-0 and the remainder of the game was played with a running clock as the IHSAA "mercy rule" went into effect.
North Miami's deepest penetration into Mac territory during the game was halted at the Brave 20 on the final play of the third quarter when the hosts were stopped on a fourth-and-four play. With Galvan carrying the ball on six of seven plays and scoring from a yard out with 11:51 remaining, the Braves covered 80 yards in four minutes.
Galvan led a balanced rushing attack with 68 yards on 12 carries. Shelton added 56 on a pair of totes, while freshman Marcell Sims added 36 on two carries late in the game.
Defensively, Dakoda Dauenhauer topped the tackle chart with 10 stops. DJ Elliott and Dausch were each credited with eight tackles, while Kelly and Austin Ringeisen followed with six apiece. Dausch had two forced fumbles and Rodkey got a pair of fumble recoveries.
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Mac drops 5 set thriller to Squires
The girls showed up with a different mindset today. Although they came up short, they did show a spunk tonight that has the coaching staff very excited. The front row did a great job of getting in front of the attack and our block made a huge difference tonight.
I. Kile: 7 kills, 4 assisted blocks
A. Birner: 20 kills, 3 assisted blocks, 7 digs, 14 receptions
K. Greis: 6 kills, 5 solo blocks, 8 points
K. Murry: 6 kills
E. Zeiser: 5 kills, 2 solo blocks, 7 digs
B Jernagan: 24 digs, 8 receptions, 4 points
Addie Maiben: 11 digs, 19 receptions, 4 points
Averie Maiben: 14 digs, 26 assists, 10 points
D. Betzner: 17 assists, 5 digs, 2 points
H. Maiben: 22 digs, 8 receptions, 5 points
B. Carson: 30 digs, 37 receptions, 12 points
Jv dropped to Manchester
23-15, 19-25
A. Kaiser: 3 points, 9 digs, 6 receptions
K. Rosenow: 4 points, 3 kills, 5 digs
L. Boggs: 5 points, 4 assists
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Mac JV wins Wabash Invite
The Maconaquah JV volleyball team won the Wabash Invite on Saturday! Nice hustle and great team effort was put forth by the girls!
They defeated Peru, Manchester, Northfield, and Northwestern to win the title!
Peru vs Maconaquah
16-25
12-25
Leah Boggs – 11 points, 3 assist, 4 digs
Aubrey Kaiser – 5 points, 8 digs, 6 receptions
Josie Callane – 13 points, 7 receptions
Northfield vs Maconaquah
23-25
22-25
Josie Callane – 6 points, 7 digs, 11 receptions
Aubrey Kaiser – 7 points, 23 digs, 7 receptions
Kiera Rosenow – 4 points, 12 digs, 17 receptions, 3 kills
Leah Boggs – 9 assist, 10 points
Manchester vs Maconaquah
21-25
22-25
Kaitlynn Bunch – 6 points
Lucee Jernagan – 6 kills, 3 receptions
Kiera Rosenow – 4 kills, 8 digs, 4 points
Aubrey Kaiser- 6 points, 14 digs, 12 receptions
Northwestern vs Maconaquah
20-25
20-25
Lucee Jernagan – 5 kills
Raeleigh Betzner – 5 kills, 2 blocks
Kiera Rosenow – 7 receptions, 7 kills, 9 points
Aubrey Kaiser – 4 points, 19 digs, 11 receptions
Josie Callane – 6 points, 6 digs, 6 receptions
Bella Farnham – 8 points, 9 assists
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Daisy Williams earns spot in Girls State Championship, Lady Braves finish 7th overall
For Daisy Williams it was not a matter of if, but when she would qualify to play in the state championship. The when was answered on Saturday as the junior shot an outstanding 75 on the challenging Battleground Golf Course to punch her ticket to state. Daisy played solid golf by hitting straight tee shots that let her hit aggressive second shots into the large Battleground greens. Errant tee shots were followed by smart approach shots that left her the best opportunity to get up and down for par. Daisy was extremely focused and did allow bad breaks or distractions affect her. Daisy played the last six holes in even par with four pars, one birdie and one bogey. Daisy will start competition in the state championship this Friday at Prairie View Golf Course.
Senior Miranda Stoll completed her high school career by shooting a 91 on the challenging course layout. Miranda didn’t have her best game on the day, but showed grit and determination by grinding out a very respectable 91 on the day that included a fantastic up and down for par on her last hole. Miranda’s score was good enough for second on the team.
Third on the team in scoring was Freshman Aubrey Stoll who finished with a 97. As Aubrey’s game has gotten better each week, it was her mental toughness that shined on Saturday. Playing with some of the best players in the state, including #1 Carmel, Aubrey started out strong by finding the first fairway with a long drive. She also didn’t let bad holes affect her as she bounced back each time with a good score on the next hole. Aubrey’s future is bright and she will be a key figure, much like her older sisters, for the Lady Braves in the coming years
Senior Haley Washburn was fourth on the team with a 106. Haley, playing in her first regionals, got off to a bit of a rough start, but turned it around on the back nine and played her last four holes in only four over par. Haley’s strong finish helped her shoot 4 strokes better on the back than she did on the front (55-51).
Junior Finley Dobbs also got off to a bit of a rough start, but found balance in the middle of her round as she finished with a 108. Finley struggled off the tee which put her at a serious disadvantage when you consider the length of the holes. Finley kept grinding and improved on her final tally from last season’s regional by 4.
Overall the Lady Braves finished 7th in the 15 team regional field on Saturday with a final tally of 368. It should be noted that the regional is one of the toughest in the state as 6 teams getting votes in the coaches poll are assigned to the Lafayette Jeff Regional.
So ends the golf career of four Lady Braves. Miranda Stoll who was a four year varsity starter and a key part of the Maconaquah’s first two conference and first two sectional championships. Her leadership and determination to be the best player she can be will be missed. Haley Washburn who played varsity her senior year and helped the team win their second sectional title and was a big part of the teams 18-1 head to head record this year. Sydney Barnes who played varsity in the past two seasons when called upon and always performed well. Lastly the team will miss Kathryn Rodkey’s calmness and good spirited attitude who kept the team level headed at stressful times.
It’s not all bittersweet news as Daisy Williams extended her season another week in an effort to win the individual state championship. She also joins Katie Powell and Brandi Jones as Maconaquah lady golfers who have earned an invitational to the states biggest event.
Lastly, a special thank you to assistant coach Tim Cox who again played a big part of the teams success this season. His ability to spot and correct a swing fault saved the Lady Braves countless strokes this year and his dedication to improve the team is unparalleled (this includes being in Dublin at 1:30am and still making a match that tees off at 4:30pm at Rock Hollow).
PHOTO: Daisy Williams receives her State Championship invitation.
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Lady Braves are Culver Invitational Champions
The Maconaquah Lady Braves were crowned champions of the closed division at the 41st annual Culver Academies Invitational.
The Lady Braves placed 4 girls in the top 25 places to earn medalist honors. They were led by senior Abby Jordan, who placed 6th and finished with a time of 19:48. Sophomore Zoie Laber continues to improve, placing 15th (20:51). Junior Lucy Loshnowsky (20th, 21:04) and sophomore Chloe Jordan (24th, 21:11) also medaled for Maconaquah.
Junior Kaytlin Moeller (65th, 22:54) was the 5th scorer for the Lady Braves. Senior Kaylee Futrell placed 80th and ran personal-best time of 23:19. Sophomores Elaina Montgomery (119th, 24:25), Cloe Gibbs (142nd, 25:11), and Kyndal Collins (201st, 27:25) also competed for the Lady Braves.
Maconaquah will seek to defend their conference title next Saturday at the Three Rivers Conference Championship at Manchester High School. Good luck , Lady Braves!
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Boys Varsity Cross Country finishes 6th place at 41st Annual Cross Country Invite
The Maconaquah boys cross country team competed in the closed division of the 41st annual Culver Academies Invitational, where they finish in 6th place overall out of 35 complete teams.
The Running Braves had three athletes medal by finishing in the top 30 out of 296 runners. Junior Daylen Schrock led the Braves, running the course in a time of 17:10 and finishing in 14th place. Senior Isaiah Wittenberg (20th, 17:38) had a top 20 finish, while fellow senior Kaden Miller placed 28th, finishing in 17:53.
Senior Isaiah Moore (78th, 18:46), and sophomore Jeffrey Wilson (135th, 19:49) rounded out the scoring for Maconaquah.
Sophomore Drake Samuel (174th, 20:44), freshman Jacob Bowman (199th, 21:18), exchange student Janis Groeber (230th, 22:22), and junior Luke Abbott (293rd, 29:03) also competed for the Braves.
The Braves will fight for a conference title at Manchester High School next Saturday at the Three Rivers Conference meet. Good luck, Running Braves!
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Maconaquah Boys Soccer Wins First Game of Winamac Invite Against Washington Township
The Maconaquah boys varsity soccer team travelled to Winamac on Saturday 9/23 to compete in the Winamac Invite. In the first game of the tournament, Rochester defeated Winamac 3-1 to advance to the championship game. The Braves played in the 2nd game of the day against Washington Township. Maconaquah started very fast scoring 2 goals in the first 5 minutes. The first goal saw Ethan Zeiser score from an assist from Isaac Lorenz. The quick second goal was scored by Alex Hicks off an assist from Bennett Isenburg. Washington township really settled in after this and really controlled the ball the remainder of the half, but the Maconaquah defense led by Kevin Nord, Kyler Hanson, Corey Nord and Ryan Ousley consistently backed up the midfield and didn’t allow to many good looks. The second half was very evenly played, with the Braves getting the third goal on a Penalty kick in the last minute of the game. Isenburg hit a perfectly placed top corner shot to finish the scoring.
With the win, the Braves were able to rest during the consolation game between Washington Township and Winimac and set up the championship game between Maconaquah and Rochester @ 3 pm.
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Mac Boys Soccer Beats Rochester in Championship of Winamac Invite, 6-0
In the championship game of the Winamac Invite, the Braves faced Rochester in what would be a rematch of the game played a week earlier. The result of the game was the same, but the score was much different this time. In the first game @ Rochester, the Braves won 1-0, but in the championship game, the Braves hit shots that they missed in the previous game.
The first goal of the game was scored by Isaac Lorenz when he beat the defenders on a through ball and beat the goalie, just 3 minutes into the game. This goal set the tone for the game as the Zebras defense couldn’t stop the Brave attack. Scoring for the Braves were Joseth Manueles, Joel Loshnowsky with an assist from Bennett Isenburg. Kyler Hanson also scored but off an assist from Manueles. Garrett McManus and Kaden Hanson, who typically plays goalie, but got good minutes in the field closed out the scoring.
The defense was suffucating for the Braves as the Zebras were only able to get 1 shot on goal all game.
With this win, the Braves are now 12-2 and have scored 51 goals and given up just 5 on the season. The next game sets up a TRC showdown for first place in the conference with Manchester on Monday 9/25. Then, the Braves will face off against Peru in the last regular season game of the year against Peru on Wed 9/27.