Maplewood rides big plays to 25-7 win over St. Vincent

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Big plays doomed the St. Vincent defense Friday night.

The Indians created five turnovers, but Maplewood's offense boasted five plays that went for at least 20 yards in the Blue Devils' 25-7 victory.

"We were trying to pass rush but then they'd throw it," St. Vincent linebacker Derek Triller said. "So we were trying to move back and they'd pass it and we'd kind of be back on our heels. When they rushed the ball, we weren't ready or prepared. Once we started rushing them, they started passing it behind our backs and there's nothing you can really do about that either."

St. Vincent's defense held stout in the first half after the Blue Devils held onto the ball for more than seven minutes on the game's opening drive. Maplewood (3-1) scored on a 5-yard pass from Bryton Hobbs to Antonio King, but St. Vincent's defense responded after that. Maplewood only gained 88 yards in the opening half after its initial drive.

In the first half, "we made tackles and we wrapped up and got people on the ground," St. Vincent coach Paul Sauer said. "In the second half, we were diving at people's feet and they were zipping around us and busted a couple big plays. That's going to happen if you don't wrap up and you don't continue to do the things you're taught to do."

Maplewood quarterback Bryton Hobbs evades St. Vincent defenders Kyle Rollet, left, and Justin Eggers during Friday's game in Perryville, Mo. (Kit Doyle)

Justin Eggers picked off a pass during the second quarter to end one Maplewood drive, and the Indians defense forced a three-and-out late in the second quarter.

"The offense, in flashes, really showed like they were fine-tuned," Maplewood coach David Harris said. "Other times, they just fell apart."

Maplewood's offense started to spark in the third quarter when the Indians led 7-6.

Victor Beckton broke off an 89-yard jaunt to the right for a score. St. Vincent fumbled on its first play after the kickoff to give the Blue Devils a short field, and they didn't miss. Brandon Cannady punched it in from 10 yards out to push Maplewood's lead to 18-7.

St. Vincent quarterback Tim Schumer tossed an interception two plays after the ensuing kickoff, but the Indians defense bailed him out when they recovered a fumble at their own 11-yard line to end that threat.

Maplewood running back Austyn Ford runs away from the diving grab of Indians defender C.J. Pavlovsky.

St. Vincent's defense would intercept one more pass and recover another fumble in the fourth quarter to keep giving the offense a chance.

"On film we watched, they didn't protect the ball very well," Eggers said.

C.J. Pavlovsky was responsible for two of the Indians' interceptions.

"I'm looking at the quarterback's eyes right off the bat," he said. "I'm looking which way he's turning. In high school ball, it's not really common for them to go back side. I'm looking at his eyes and trying to read where he's going with the ball."

Even though St. Vincent's defense forced the five turnovers, the Blue Devils finished with 256 yards rushing and another 168 yards through the air.

Maplewood quarterback Bryton Hobbs, left, throws for the game's first touchdown as Terron Dale protects the pocket Friday evening, September 18, 2009, in Perryville. (Kit Doyle)

While St. Vincent's defense kept creating turnovers, the Indians struggled to move the ball. They were limited to 106 yards of offense in the game.

"We were really looking to pressure the run and the quarterback in the pass," Harris said. "Really the only passing they do is play action. We know we have to honor the run first. ... We kept bringing the pressure and that's the focus of our defense -- pressure, pressure, speed, speed."

Pavlovsky led the Indians with 40 yards rushing on 13 carries. He scored St. Vincent's lone touchdown, a 1-yard run on fourth-and-goal in the second quarter.

"We have to fire off the ball first," he said. "Everyone has to get off the ball. Then after that, they were just stacking the box. Everybody was inside. We don't have the strongest passing game right now and they were just stacking the box and we couldn't get outside very well."

St. Vincent had some success with the pass in the first half as Schumer threw for 48 yards. He completed his first three passes in the second half before hitting a rough patch of an interception then four consecutive incompletions.

Indians quarterback Tim Schumer rushes against Maplewood during Friday's game in Perryville, Mo. Schumer fumbled on the play. (Kit Doyle)

"In the second half, we didn't get the protection up front," Sauer said. "They were getting in there and we got sacked and hammered a couple times in the backfield. That makes you a little skittish about throwing it. I know we threw one interception and I think that was because they were in our face and we had to hurry up and throw it."

St. Vincent's offensive line has been ravaged by injuries in the early going. The Indians entered the season with a line filled with returning seniors, but it's developed into a hodgepodge because of injuries.

"It's really frustrating because you know you had talent there," Pavlovsky said. "Once you have injuries and people getting hurt, it's not that you don't have the talent, it's that you don't have the talent that you had."

The Indians (0-4) now turn their attention to St. Pius, which beat Chaffee 41-0 on Friday. Sauer anticipates an intense week of practice to prepare for the Lancers (1-3).

"I don't know how good of shape we're in," he said. "It seems like we struggle to play 48 minutes. I guess this week we're going to have to get a little tougher on them and get them in a little better shape."

St. Vincent's James Steele tackles a Maplewood special teams returner during the first half of Friday's game in Perryville, Mo.

Maplewood 6 0 12 7 -- 25

St. Vincent 0 7 0 0 -- 7

First Quarter

M -- Antonio King 5 pass from Bryton Hobbs (run failed), 4:45

Second Quarter

St. V -- C.J. Pavlovsky 1 run (Kyle Rollet kick), 10:45

Third Quarter

M -- Victor Beckton 89 run (run failed), 4:26

M -- Brandon Cannady 10 run (pass failed), 2:40

Fourth Quarter

M -- Erik Robertson 9 pass from Hobbs (Tommy Newport kick), 2:34

M St. V

First downs 18 9

Rushes-yards 30-256 31-42

Passing yards 168 64

Passes 21-30-3 7-16-1

Fumbles-Lost 4-2 3-2

Penalties-Yards 17-114 2-20

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Maplewood, Victor Beckton 2-88, Bryton Hobbs 10-38, Brandon Cannady 6-59, Terron Dale 8-47, Austyn Ford 3-20, Allen Johnson 1-4. St. Vincent, C.J. Pavlovsky 13-40, Justin Eggers 5-12, Derek Triller 6-14, Tim Schumer 6-(minus 23), Mitchell Presnell 1-(minus 1).

PASSING -- Maplewood, Bryton Hobbs 19-27-165-3, Allen Johnson 2-3-3-0. St. Vincent, Tim Schumer 7-16-64-1.

RECEIVING -- Maplewood, Austyn Ford 10-99, Timotheus Hicks 3-22, Antonio King 4-33, Erik Robertson 2-6, Terron Dale 1-(minus 1). St. Vincent, Derek Triller 3-42, Kyle Rollet 1-18, C.J. Pavlovsky 1-3, Justin Eggers 2-1.