Caruthersville ends season for Scott City football team

~ Scott City lost 42-0 to Caruthersville in Class 2 District 1

Caruthersville's Darrell Monroe scored four touchdowns as the top-seeded Tigers rolled to a 42-0 victory over Scott City in the Class 2 District 1 semifinals Wednesday night in Caruthersville, Mo.

Monroe had scoring runs of 47, 2 and 7 yards and also had a 22-yard punt return for a touchdown.

Monroe, who came into the game with 830 yards rushing on the season, broke loose for his 47-yard touchdown run just 13 seconds into the game after Scott City attempted an onside kick but failed to recover.

The junior added his 2-yard scoring run with 2:46 left in the opening quarter for a 13-0 lead, and then returned a mishandled Scott City punt 22 yards for a touchdown less than two minutes later for his third touchdown of the first quarter. The Tigers converted on the two-point conversion for a 21-0 lead.

"They're not the kind of team you can get behind and expect to come out on top," Scott City coach Jim May said.

Matters got worse for fifth-seeded Scott City (5-5) late in the second quarter.

The Rams drove to about the Caruthersville 10-yard-line in the waning seconds, but Myron Woods intercepted a pass at the 2 and returned it 98 yards for a touchdown with no time left on the clock for a 28-0 lead.

A flag was thrown early in the return but later was picked up, setting off a heated dispute that resulted in the ejection of a Scott City player.

"There was a play made between two players, where there was a personal foul -- for No. 1 he was being held, pinned to the ground, and punched in the ribs -- and they threw a flag about it and then they picked up the flag and waved it off and went into halftime," May said. "It damn near caused a riot."

Monroe, who finished with 112 yards on eight carries, added a 7-yard scoring run midway through the third quarter. Rodrick Jones had a 10-yard scoring run later in the period to complete the scoring.

Scott City senior Travis Phillips carried 30 times for 112 yards, but the Rams had just 133 yards rushing overall. Scott City did not complete a pass.

"They're good defensively, and they've got some outstanding players," May said. "My kids went out and played hard but we made some big mistakes, special teams-wise and offensive-wise that put us behind, and once we got behind we were in trouble."

Caruthersville (8-2) had 210 yards rushing overall on 28 attempts and had 31 yards passing.

The Tigers will host Charleston in Monday's district championship game.