It’s generally tough to beat one team twice in a year. The Carroll Academy Rebels did it with relative ease on Friday night.
The Rebels opened the MAIS Class 3A playoffs with a convincing 52-0 win over visiting Newton County Academy on Friday night. With the win, the Rebels improve to 9-2 on the season and win a playoff game for the first time since a win over Leake Academy in 2011.
The Rebels had little trouble with the Generals, even though CA head coach Bo Milton never really felt like the lead was safe.
“I just never felt like we were in control until the second half,” Milton said. “I know it was 30-0 at the half but we never really had to drive it down the field on them. I thought the defense was great. It was one of our better games of the season. I thought we set the tone on defense and the special teams did a great job. It was a good game all around. I thought the conditions were awful and worse than last week and that made it kind of tough. It was really good to get a playoff win at home. That’s something that hasn’t been done in a while here.”
The Generals threw an interception on their first series but forced the Rebels to punt. After the Generals punted on their next possession, the Rebels went 51 yards in two plays as Morgan Mims scored on a 30-yard run. The Rebels converted the two-point conversion and Carroll led 8-0.
The Rebels didn’t score again until the second quarter, when they posted 22 points. The first score was a 70-yard pass from Mims to Loften Holley to go up 14-0.
After recording a safety on the next series, the Rebels went 40 yards win seven plays as Mims hit Bryce Collier on a 27-yard touchdown pass. Holley ran in the two-point conversion and Carroll led 24-0.
The Rebels then recovered the ensuing kick and went 29 yards in three plays as Brennan Blaylock hit Mims on a short pass that he turned into a 28-yard touchdown reception for a 30-0 lead at the half.
“We threw three touchdown passes and had only thrown one all year,” Milton said. “Morgan had another good night. He had a touchdown run, a touchdown pass and a touchdown reception. That’s a pretty god night. He has had a great night and still has a great shot at 2,000 yards rushing. He only ran it eight times. We tried to spread it around. Only ninth graders carried the ball in the second half.”
Carroll got the clock running to open the second half when Christian McCluskey returned an attempted onside kick 50 yards for a touchdown. The try for two failed and Carroll led 36-0.
Carroll added two more second half scores as freshman Mathis Beck scored on a 2-yard run and freshman Noah Beck scored on a 43-yard run for the final margin of 52-0.
The Generals struggled on offense with three interceptions, The Generals had 21 yards rushing on 17 carries and no passing yards.
Meanwhile, the Rebels had 377 yards of offense with 251 yards rushing and 126 passing. Mims was 3-of-7 passing for 99 yards and rushed for 74 yards on eight carries. Noah Beck led the Rebels in rushing with 100 yards on five carries.
Reese Fulton had five tackles, three for a loss, while Hogan Costilow had five tackles. Cooper Beck had three tackles, two for a loss and a fumble recovery. Christian McClusky also had a fumble recovery while Mims, Mathis Beck and Logan Taylor each had interceptions.
