Maconaquah Schools

The Maconaquah Braves stunned the Northfield Norseman by scoring 29 points in a six-and-one half minute span in the third quarter here Friday night and cruised to a 42-6 Three Rivers Conference win. The Braves are off to their first 2-0 start since 2015 and remained unbeaten in both TRC outings. Northfield fell to 1-2 overall and is winless in a pair of league games. Maconaquah, ranked 19th in the latest Indiana USA Today Network Media Poll, now leads the overall series 9-6. The Braves travel to Whitko Friday for another TRC battle. While first-year Brave coach Michael Fenters was happy with the defensive adjustments made after clinging to a slim 13-6 halftime lead, it was sophomore running back Marcell Sims that delivered the knockout punch in the decisive third period. After Mac's defense forced a Norse punt, the Braves took over at their own 25 with 8:38 showing. Sims sandwiched a NF holding penalty with runs of 27 and 17 yards before bolting in from 21 yards out with 7:54 left. Soph quarterback Aiden Robinson hit Fuddy Kile on the conversion pass, 21-6, and the rout was on. After Kile had an interception return for an apparent TD called back, Robinson hit senior speedster AJ Kelly with a 12-yard TD strike, 27-6. The lead ballooned to 35-6 at the 3:15 mark when Sims ripped off a dazzling 62-yard touchdown run and then tossed the two-point conversion pass to Kile. Brady Dausch's fumble recovery at the Norse 31 set up Mac's final score. Sims capped the short six play drive by scoring from a yard out after a Robinson-to-Jorden VanNess completion was stopped at the one. Max Sachse's PAT boot provided the final count, 42-6, and the remainder of the game was played with a running clock under the IHSAA "Mercy Rule". Sims rushed for 145 yards on seven carries in the decisive third quarter and finished with 212 yards on 14 totes. He becomes the 10th different player in MHS history to rush for over 200 yards in a game and the first to crack 200 since Carter Little rushed for 210 vs Fort Wayne Concordia in the 2019 sectional. Little set the single-game record by rushing for 320 against Peru in 2019. Robinson and Kile teamed up for both Brave scores in the first half as Kile hauled in TD strikes of 43 and nine yards. Kile has now caught touchdown passes in 21 of his last 23 games and has scored in 22 consecutive games. Kelly's TD reception midway through the third period moved him into a tie with Phillip Garnett in sixth place on Maconaquah's career scoring list with 178 points. The Braves finished with 233 yards rushing on 18 attempts. Robinson completed 14 of 25 passes, good for 150 yards and three touchdowns. The 29 points in the third quarter is the fifth-highest single scoring quarter in school history. Unofficially, Dausch led the tackle chart with 15 stops. Dakoda Dauenhauer and Carsten Hollars followed with 14 and 12 tackles respectively. Landon Morgan and Austin Ringeisen were each credited with seven. Kile, Kelly and Sims each had an interception. Kelly's was the eighth of his career.