MORAN — Marmaton Valley High’s offense found its stride late in the first quarter Friday.
The Wildcats scored three touchdowns on three straight drives, in the span of five offensive snaps, with Tyler Lord sandwiching long touchdown passes to Garrett Morrison and Todd Stevenson around a 52-yard touchdown run from Cooper Scharff.
Problem was, visiting Reno County Homeschool was already in juggernaut mode.
The visiting Sabres scored 12 touchdowns on 32 offensive plays, not counting the three kneel-downs at the end of the second quarter to spoil Marmaton Valley’s Homecoming Night with a 93-38 romp.
The game was called at halftime because the margin exceeded 46 points.
Reno County quarterback Bo Smith was the primary catalyst, scoring on runs of 28, 26, 5 and 10 yards and throwing three more scores.
The Sabres, who scored on every possession except the final one to run out the clock, utilized an early turnover and successful onside kick to race to a 32-0 lead within the game’s first 7 ½ minutes.
Lord put the Wildcats on the scoreboard with a 26-yard pass to Morrison with about 3 minutes left in the first quarter.
Reno County responded with another touchdown before Scharff got through the line unscathed for his 52-yard jaunt, pulling the Wildcats to within 40-16.
But after a pair of incompletions, Bo Smith found Rock Smith for a 31-yard touchdown to extend the Sabres lead.
Lord followed with a perfectly thrown pass down the left sideline, finding Stevenson in stride for a 57-yard score.
Marmaton Valley senior lineman Brevyn Campbell makes a block Friday.Photo by Jimmy Potts / Iola Register
But a long Reno County kickoff return set up Bo Smith for a short TD run for a 56-22 lead.
And we were still in the first quarter.
The Sabres defense got things started in the second period, when Tucker Spellman broke the line and forced a fumble on a quarterback sack. His teammate, Zeph Schmutz recovered the ball in the end zone for another score.
A Wildcat punt led to Laurence Cable’s 29-yard touchdown run for a 70-22 lead.
The Wildcats turned the ball over on downs, leading to a Rock Smith 28-yard TD run on the next snap to extend the lead.
Scharff stemmed the tide one play later when he broke free for a 58-yard touchdown, pulling the Wildcats to cut the margin to 48.
