By Derrick Forsythe Record Staff Writer Confident that his team’s Week 3 host would likely focus on shutting down the run, Wright City Football Coach Jeff Sargent decided Friday would be a prime …
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Wildcats rout EMO rival
Posted
By Derrick ForsytheRecord Staff WriterConfident that his team’s Week 3 host would likely focus on shutting down the run, Wright City Football Coach Jeff Sargent decided Friday would be a prime opportunity to explore the Wildcats’ passing ability.Senior quarterback Andrew Pfuhl took advantage of Montgomery County’s defensive plan, throwing five touchdown passes and connecting with four different receivers in a 52-7 rout.It was the Wildcats’ largest margin of victory in five seasons and most dominant victory since shutting out the same Eastern Missouri Conference foe 36-0 in last fall.“It looked like we were really clicking,” said Sargent. “We’ve got some weapons, and we want to use them as much as we possibly can. I thought we did a good job of that tonight.”Wright City (2-1) showed tremendous balance, with five different players reaching the end zone, amassing 514 yards of total offense. The Wildcats had plenty of chances for possession, with Montgomery County giving away five fumbles.Pfuhl helped his team cash in on those often short-field opportunities, going 12-of-14 for 261 yards a week after throwing three interceptions.“It was night and day from last week to this week,” said Sargent, of his signal-caller’s command on the field. “He listened and went through his progressions, instead of just staring down one of his receivers.”Sargent says he worked with Pfuhl on being more deliberate about his throws and not forcing the pass if better options unfolded during the play.“I let the plays develop more this week,” said Pfuhl. “I just tried opening up my options spanning across the field, and my offensive line gave me plenty of time to throw.”With Montgomery County (0-3) committed to stopping senior running back Derenzo Blanks, who still managed 188 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 17 carries, the Wildcats receivers had plenty of room to work.“I think they were a little nervous against our receivers,” said Sargent. “We do have a lot of speed, so that is very beneficial for us, and we utilize that as best as we can.”Wright City’s opening drive stalled on the eight yard line, but it would not be indicative of the remainder of the game.Senior Troy Muse hauled in the first of his two touchdown passes on a 33-yard scoring play with 3:29 left in the first quarter.“They weren’t really covering me closely, because I think they were more worried about the run than anything,” said Muse, who finished with 126 yards on five catches.“Everything was pretty open, and Andrew did a good job of connecting on my routes.”On the ensuing drive, Pfuhl hooked up with senior Austin Buchheit, who took a 19-yard pass in for his first career receiving touchdown.Senior Tyler Brittain put the Wildcats ahead 20-0 early in the second quarter, racing 86 yards down the sideline for the third aerial score of the night.With Montgomery County’s run-based offense continually stalling out and leaving its defense on the field for much of the game, Pfuhl continued to exploit the coverage.“I saw openings in the slots all night, and when they jumped the slot routes it opened up Troy and Tyler, who made them pay by making big plays,” said Pfuhl.He found his fourth receiver in Trey Saddler, who caught an 11-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter. Muse added another, this time from 15 yards out, to push the Wildcats ahead 33-0 at halftime.Blanks finally reached the end zone in the third quarter, bursting in from four yards.It was then that Saddler helped get the defense involved in the scoring, stripping the ball away and racing 60 yards on a fumble recovery. It was the second recovered fumble of the game for the senior defensive back.“Trey has been so valuable on the defensive side of the ball that we’ve got to limit his reps on offense,” said Sargent. “But tonight we saw what kind of threat he can be on offense too.”Trailing 46-0, Montgomery County finally put itself on the board midway through the third quarter on a well-contested leaping catch.Blanks added the Wildcats’ final touchdown on a 31-yard run with 11:04 remaining, putting the exclamation point on an offensive showcase.Wright City played its reserves for much of the fourth quarter, as sophomore quarterback Sean McDonald completed 1 of 2 passes for 34 yards.Brittain was the second-most targeted receiver, with three catches for 93 yards. He also recovered a fumble, along with Jaime Malta and Dakota Phillips.Additionally, senior Kyle Tuepker rushed for 20 yards on six carries and recorded five tackles.Buchheit led the defensive effort with a team-best seven takedowns.Wright City will host Bowling Green during Week 4 at 7 p.m.
DeRenzo Blanks rushed for 188 yards in a blowout win for Wright City on the road against Montgomery County Friday night. Blanks scored twice and upped his rushing total on the season to 435 yards. Derrick Forsythe photo.
