Maconaquah Schools

The unbeaten Maconaquah Braves claimed their fifth conference championship in school history Friday night by hammering the Manchester Squires, 55-14, in Three Rivers Conference action before another large Brave crowd. Coach Ethan Robbins' gridders are now 8-0 on the year and will host the Rochester Zebras Friday in their regular season "Senior Night" finale. Maconaquah (6-0 TRC) grabs the undisputed league crown with Rochester taking down Northwestern (the only team entering the night with one conference loss), 30-22. "This is effort and playing together", Robbins told his troops following the big win. "We had a great, complete game." The first-year head coach becomes the third rookie skipper to win a conference title in his first season. Bart Curtis (1991) and Michael Fenters (2024) also won championships in their first season coaching the Braves. Maconaquah's other championships were won in 1973 and 1982. The Braves went unbeaten to win the 2024 TRC championship, while the 1973, 1982 and 1991 squads all shared Mid-Indiana Conference titles with other teams. The Squires fell to 3-5 overall and to 2-4 in the TRC and had their two-game winning streak snapped. For the third time in four weeks the Braves fell behind in the first quarter only to charge back and post convincing wins. Manchester took a 7-0 lead midway through the first period, taking advantage of a MHS fumble and turning it into quick points with a 53-yard TD run. A short one-yard TD run by Marcell Sims (Nolan Tarrh PAT kick) knotted things at 7-7, Maconaquah's defense stepped up on the Squires' next two possessions, forcing fumbles, with Evan Blake and Tre Rader pouncing on the loose pigskins. MHS got another one-yard TD run by Sims and a 27-yard TD pass from Aiden Robinson to Tarrh to close out the first quarter scoring, 21-7, with Tarrh adding the two PAT boots. The TD pass to Tarrh was Robinson's 100th TD pass of his stellar four-year career. The large Brave crowd was treated to the "Air Robinson Show" in the second act as the record-setting senior gunslinger flipped one-yard TD passes to Sims and Tarrh before hitting Tarrh with a 14-yard scoring strike with 3:15 left moving Mac's lead to 42-7 at intermission. In the second quarter alone, Robinson at one point threw 26 consecutive passes . . . finishing hitting on 20 of 30 attempts for a single-quarter school record mark of 265 yards. Maconaquah's kickoff team got fumble recoveries in the period with Rader and Treson Ambrose hustling downfield to pounce on mishandled Squire returns. The third and fourth quarters were played with a running clock with the IHSAA "Mercy Rule" in effect and MHS leading by 35+ points. The Braves added Robinson-to-Tarrh TD passes in each stanza before the reserves took over midway through the final period. Some nifty running by Leevi Jackson and Amarion Sims moved the Braves 39 yards on Mac's final drive before time expired at the Manchester 13 yard line. Taking away Manchester's long 53-yard run early and a 58-yarder on their final drive, the Brave defense limited the Squires to a mere 39 yards on their other 24 offensive plays. Blake and Jayden Fitzpatrick led the tackle charts with eight stops apiece. DaKoda Dauenhaur (7), Eli Grzegorski (5) and Chase Washburn (3) added to the big defensive effort. Manchester finished the game with only three first downs, two of them on the long Squire runs. On the offensive side of the ball it was another record-setting night for MHS. Tarrh broke his own single-game reception record by hauling in 17 Robinson passes. His five TD passes caught broke the single-game record set by Fuddy Kile vs Cass in 2023 and against Peru in the 2024 sectional. Robinson broke single-game records for pass completions (46) and attempts (61). Jon Morrell held the previous record for most pass attempts (52) set in the 1987 sectional vs West Lafayette. Braxton Birner previously held the completions record with 38 vs Whitko in 2021. With the potent passing game clicking all night, the Braves also set school records for most first downs (35) in a game ... wiping out the previous mark (31) set vs Fairmount in 1968. Mac had a record 22 first downs via the airwaves, erasing the previous record (17) vs West Lafayette (1987) and North Miami in 2022. ***** SIDELINE NOTES ***** >>> Maconaquah's eight-game win streak is currently the third longest in school history >>> The win was the 14th straight regular-season win at HOME . . . a MHS record >>> This years senior class is now the winningest senior class in school history . . . 35 games won over four years >>> 55 points scored is the most-ever by a Mac team vs the Squires >>> The Braves now lead the all-time series vs Manchester, 4-3 >>> Maconaquah was ranked #8 in the latest Class 3A USA/Today poll and #12 in the IFCA poll >>> 492 passing yards is second most in school history >>> 641 yards of total offense vs Manchester is second most in school history >>> Braves tied a school record with their seventh 40+ points scored in a game this year >>> MHS has now scored 50+ points in a game four times this season . . . a school record >>> Tarrh's 37 points is the second-most by a Brave in a game (Sims had 44 points vs Peru earlier this year) >>> Tarrh's big scoring night moved him past Cody Hicks into third place - career scoring with 344 points >>> Tarrh now has 2802 career receiving yards, making him #2 all-time moving past AJ Kelly >>> Tarrh now has 1063 receiving yards this year . . . becoming only the second player at MHS to record back-to-back 1000 yards seasons. Fuddy Kile had three consecutive 1000-yard seasons (2022-24) The sure-handed senior entered the Manchester game as the state's #2 receiver (yards per game) >>> Tarrh led all receivers with 170 yards on his record 17 catches. Sims followed with 167 yards on 13 receptions, while Jorden Van Ness added 99 yards on a career-high 10 passes caught >>> Sims led all rushers with 110 yards on 13 carries . . . becoming only the third player in school history to rush for over 3000 yards in a career. Mac's all-time scoring leader now has rushed for 3022 yards >>> After back-to-back 100+yard penalty games plagued the Braves, Mac was only flagged once for 10 yards >>> Robinson entered the contest as the state's leader in TD passes. His five TD tosses to Tarrh now gives him 35 this year, making it the third-most in a single season at Maconaquah. He holds the record of 42 set during Maconaquah's 12-1 TRC and sectional championship season >>> Sims (scoring) and Robinson (passing yardage) were honored before the game for setting MHS records >>> Sims on setting his record . . . "I owe my records to everyone that plays on the line and the wide receivers blocking. (Offensive line coach) Dan Robinson is a phenomenal coach and his offensive line is blocking." Sims then finished saying, "We want to play as hard as we can every game. Our goals are to win the TRC, sectional and be playing in Week 15" (Lucas Oil Stadium for the state championship) >>> Maconaquah's sectional opponent will be announced on Sunday during the IHSAA Pairings Show which will be livestreamed from 7-9 pm on IHSAAtv.org >>> IT WAS A GREAT NIGHT TO BE A BRAVE!!! Great Crowd and 2026 Three Rivers Conference Champs!!!