3A-1

Charleston rolls over Greenland

CHARLESTON -- Coming off a rivalry win last week against Ozark, there was a thought deep in the back of Charleston Coach Ricky May's mind his team might have a letdown.

The Tigers quickly removed all doubt Friday night at Alumni Field. Charleston scored three touchdowns after 13 offensive plays and didn't let up after that in a 51-0 victory against Greenland in a 3A-1 Conference matchup.

"We had really good practices heading into this week," May said. "We didn't really feel like the letdown was there. But you never know until you get to game time. As a coach, you are always paranoid. I'm proud of the way our guys played."

Junior quarterback Brandon Scott was a driving force on offense, leading the Tigers to six consecutive touchdown drives to open the first half and take a 44-0 lead into halftime.

Scott finished the game 14 of 17 passing with 320 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also rushed 3 times for 54 yards and another score on the ground.

"He is a winner," May said. "I'm so glad he is on our team. Scott did a great job tonight. That was his best game at Charleston since I've been here. He didn't force anything with his legs. He made the right play when we needed it all night. The offensive line play was strong all game."

Eight different receivers made receptions for the Tiger offense. Bryton Ketter caught two passes for 108 yards and a score. Sebastian Gaona hauled in 4 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. Reese Merechka had three catches for 61 yards and a score. Brycen Kendrix also scored with a 2-yard pass.

"It's a whole lot easier for me when I just have to get it to my playmakers and they make plays," Scott said. "That's what they did tonight. The line blocked perfectly as well. They didn't have an easy assignment either. I'm proud of those guys there wasn't much pressure at all."

It was a complete night on offense for Charleston (4-0, 1-0). The unit finished with 324 passing yards on 19 attempts. The Tigers' rushing attack added 193 yards on 21 carries.

"The past two games the first half has been rough, especially for me," Scott said. "For us to be that efficient is something we have talked about doing. We were able to go out here and do it. We wanted to put it all together."

As phenomenal of an effort the Charleston offense put together, the defense found a way to match it in success.

They allowed just 58 yards of offense and had three interceptions against Greenland (2-2, 0-1). Gaona, Tyton Jones and Ransom Merechka came away with the turnovers.

"The defense has been getting better every week," May said. "We have been rotating guys up front to keep us fresh. It was good to see our guys gang tackle well. The secondary was tested and covered very well."

The Tigers were able turn two of those turnovers into touchdowns on the following drives. Gaona's interception ended Greenland's opening drive of the game.

Ransom Merechka returned his turnover 55 yards. He then capped the scoring drive himself with a 2-yard touchdown run to take a 44-0 lead with about three minutes left in the first half.

Upcoming Events