Football Falls Short in Hard Fought Matchup
Even with a strong outing from the Monarch running and passing game, the Coyotes were unable to shut down the unrelenting offense of Denver South, falling to the second ranked Rebels by a score of 41-23.
Monarch immediately came out with a bang Saturday morning, as senior quarterback Stone MacIntyre tossed a deep passing touchdown to senior wide receiver Easton Hall early in the first quarter. Moments later, junior safety C.J. Schmanski snatched a Rebel pass from the air and returned it for a score, putting the Coyotes ahead 14-0.
However, the Rebels were hardly phased, as senior running back Marcus Lindsay burst through the Coyote defensive line on two consecutive possessions for the first two of his three lengthy rushing touchdowns. Denver South followed these scores with yet another seven points and two field goals, taking a 27-14 lead after two quarters.
After the half, the Coyotes immediately swung the momentum, blocking a Rebel punt attempt in the endzone for a safety. This confidence boost did not last for long, though, as the dominance of South’s offensive line and power running attack were on display once again, scoring twice more and eventually coming through with the hard earned victory.
Although the Coyotes did not finish the match with the result they desired, coaches could not help but feel encouraged by the play of their team.
“Any time you lose, you try to find anything positive,” said coach Aaron Paddock. “Our preparation for the game was good. I thought our fight until the end was good. I think both offensively and defensively you saw us battling to the very last down.”
Monarch players certainly found something positive from the game, feeling motivated to finish the rest of the season stronger than ever.
“I mean, they’re the number two team in the state,” said senior defensive lineman Nico Magri, who appeared in his first game of the season after returning from an injury. “We competed. We stopped their running back, who is the number one running back in the state. We just had a few mistakes which led to their scores.”
Looking ahead, the Coyotes look to bring their record back to .500 against Brighton in the annual homecoming game. As for the players, they are hardly worried.
“11-0,” said senior linebacker Noah Snyder. “From here on, we’re 11-0.”
