PENDLETON — The Pendleton Heights Arabians had plans to shock the world on Friday night.
Battling the top-ranked Class 4A Mt. Vernon Marauders to a one-possession loss, 21-27, during the regular season, the Arabians looked to turn the tables during the Sectional 21 semifinals rematch at John Broughton Stadium.
Unfortunately, the unbeaten Marauders (11-0) did what they do best.
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Mt. Vernon converted on three of its first four possessions to build a 19-0 first-half lead and amassed 232 yards rushing overall with four touchdowns en route to a 32-7 victory.
“They’re really good, and we had our chance. We blew it, and you don’t get a chance like that often against a really good team. Coach (Mike) Kirschner had them ready to play, had them dialed in,” PH head coach Jed Richman said.
“They didn’t pressure as much defensively, but they were sound, and they ran the ball very effectively. Their players made plays, and you have to credit them. They did a really good job.”
The Arabians (7-4) were searching for their second straight sectional final berth after reaching the title game a year ago, when they lost to the Marauders, 21-14.
Early mistakes hurt the Arabians, however.
After winning the opening coin toss, Pendleton Heights’ offense went three-and-out, followed by a pair of lost fumbles on its next two possessions.
Four consecutive punts after going 0-for-4 in third-down scenarios gave the Marauders the upper hand, which they capitalized on to establish their lead.
“You can’t shoot yourself in the foot, which we did. We turned it over, but they turned it over, too,” Richman said. “It was back and forth there in the second quarter, but they had control of the game. I never felt like we did have control, but they did give us some opportunities and to their credit, they stopped us.”
The Arabians’ defense forced two lost fumbles in the game, including a recovery by senior Connor Huffman with 11 minutes, 50 seconds left in the second quarter, but the Arabians struggled to take advantage.
Pendleton Heights finished the game one of 11 on third down and were penalized seven times for 68 yards to muster only 183 yards in total offense.
The Marauders netted 339 yards in total offense and converted four of six fourth-down plays and six of 13 third-down situations to take a 25-0 lead by the third quarter before the Arabians could respond.
Led by junior running back Keagan La Belle, who rushed for 121 yards on 15 carries for three touchdowns, the Marauders scored in each quarter.
“(La Belle is) a stud. Take nothing away from the other guys, but he’s just an absolute stud. I think, he’s what makes them go,” Richman said.
The Arabians never surrendered despite the margin. Senior Evan McMillan rushed for a team-best 73 yards on 12 carries and had the longest gain from scrimmage with a 25-yard touchdown run with 5:30 remaining in the game.
Luke Bays, a senior, finished with 48 yards on six rushing attempts with the Arabians’ running game accounting for 159 of Pendleton Heights’ total yards.
Senior Nick Taylor nearly gave the Arabians another three points early in the fourth quarter, but the placekicker narrowly missed a 34-yard field goal attempt that hit the upright with 9:58 left in the game.
“The kids never quit, and that doesn’t surprise me with this group. That’s not necessarily our way,” Richman said.
The numbers emphasize Richman’s point.
The first senior group to produce four consecutive winning campaigns in more than 20 years, the Arabians opened the season 4-0 and rebounded from a three-game losing streak this fall to win three of the last four contests.
“I’ve been here five years now, and this is our fourth seven-win year in a row, and that hasn’t been done in a while around here. It’s the first time 1995, ‘96, ‘97, ‘98, since we’ve had four consecutive winning seasons,” Richman said. “It says a lot about this senior class. It’s too bad because we had bigger aspirations, but at the same time, when you reflect back, it’s a real positive.”