‘Just Dinkin’ and Dunkin’’

Quick start carries Rebels by Governors

By Tate Russell
Assistant Editor
Blount Press Row

It was a short night for Nick Myers.

Trenton Shuler finds an opening over the left side Friday night. Photos by Chris Ritchie

The Maryville quarterback was 6-of-8 passing for 136 yards and two touchdowns in one quarter of action before handing the reigns to sophomore Tyler Vaught as the Rebels rolled to a 42-7 victory over William Blount on Friday at Shields Stadium.

“You can’t put that on me,” Myers said. “I’m just dinkin’ and dunkin’ to T.J. (Kimble) and Cody (Carroll) and they’re doing all running. Then you got Bear (Logan Winders) out there making a play on a crossing route. They’re awesome.”

The top-ranked Rebels (9-0, 6-0 District 4AAA) got out to a quick start, scoring four times in the opening quarter, running only 15 plays to do so.

“We’ve become kind of a big play team,” Maryville coach George Quarles said. “We’ve given up some plays but we can make some big plays too. Nick is starting to really figure it out and understand what we’re trying to get done and where the soft spots are and who needs to get the ball.”

Myers got things rolling on the Rebels’ first drive when he found Carroll on slant.  Carroll pulled in the pass and shook the Governor defense for the 21-yard score.

Maryville's Brian Coulter makes the hard hit on Joel Graham.

Shawn Prevo set up the second Maryville score with a 22-yard dash through the middle of the Governors defense but was stopped short of the goal line. Two plays later Trenton Shuler  took a handoff around left end and plowed over a pair Governors defenders to earn his first of two scores.

The Governors showed some life on their third series, the result of a tremendous effort from Lane Bloom.  Bloom went up the middle for an 11-yard pickup on first down. After being pushed backward on the following play, Bloom went outside and evaded a several tackles before shifting gears and racing down the sideline to close the gap to 14-7.

Bloom led all rushers with 112 yards on 10 carries. Outside of those hard-earned yards, the Governors were held in check most of the evening with 180 yards of total offense.

Myers & Co. responded quickly needing just one play to return the margin to 14. The Rebel senior found his big tight end on a drag route and Winders outran the Governors for and 80-yard score.

“I was at the opposite side at tight end and running just ten yard drag route,” Winders said. “All the line backers bit up on the run and so there was nobody there. I got a great block from T.J. Kimble and that just opened up everything down the sideline for me.

Tyler Vaught saw extensive work at quarterback.

“I just had to run as hard as could. I knew there would be people trying to catch me from the other side of the field. One guy about had me on good angle but I out ran him and got into the end zone.”

Prevo found his way to the end zone with 1:24 remaining in the first quarter on a four-play, 54-yard drive. Myers stuttered left and handed right to Prevo, who went off tackle and raced to the corner. There the Rebel junior did his best Superman impression, leaping over the pylon for the 35 yard score.

Prevo led the Rebel ground game with 65 yards on four carries. Shuler carried three times for 21 yards and two scores.

On the ensuing Governor possession, Marshall Knoll dropped quarterback Tim Green for a 9-yard loss that forced a punt from the William Blount 6-yard line.

Green spent much of the evening evading pursuers and relentless the efforts from Nic Heinemann, Dylan Jackson and Taylor Spivey.

Sophomore Jordan Scott carries the ball for the Rebels.

Carroll fielded the Ryan Hodgson punt and sprinted down the boundary before the punter pushed him out at the 2. Vaught entered the contest 26 seconds into the second quarter and handed to Shuler, who scored from inside the 1 to put the Rebels up 35-7.

Green moved the ball into the red zone on 22-yard, toe-tapping fade route to Graham late in the half, later finding Trevor Jones across the middle for 9 yards and second down on the Rebel 5-yard line. Two rush attempts had the Governors facing fourth down.

Linebacker Haden Townsend stepped in front of a Green pass on fourth down for the interception to end the drive.

Lane Bloom led all rushers on Friday.

Jaylen Burgess started the second half with a bang for the Rebels, fielding the kickoff at the 11-yard line and maneuvering his way through the middle of the Governor return team and to extended the lead to 42-7.

Vinnie Hasenstaub gave the Governors a chance to close the gap when he intercepted a deflected Vaught toss and returned it to the Rebel 19-yard line with 51 seconds left in the third quarter.

D.T. Bailey countered with an interception of his own at the 3 two plays later.