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By Carey Reeder | Staff Writer

Maplesville High School could not contain a highly potent John Carroll Catholic High School offense in the second half of its 28-12 loss on Oct. 28. While the Red Devils almost matched John Carroll in rushing yards, 255-to-240, it was the 203-to-48 discrepancy in passing yards that contributed to Maplesville’s third loss of the 2022 season.

John Carroll quarterback Carson McFadden accounted for 398 yards of offense, and opened the scoring in the second quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run after a scoreless first quarter.

“They did some motions and formations we were not ready for,” Maplesville coach Brad Abbott said. “We did better in the second half with it, but their quarterback was able to find some open spots in our zone.”

McFadden doubled the lead with a three-yard touchdown run just after halftime, and Maplesville found itself in a 14-0 hole. McFadden was 12-for-24 passing for 203 yards, and ran for 193 yards in the game.

Then, Johnathon Wilson got the Red Devils back into the game. Wilson returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to cut the deficit to eight points after the failed two-point conversion. Wilson ran for 119 yards, and Jakavion Jackson added 106 rushing yards to the Red Devils totals.

“(Wilson) prepares himself, and he is a very coachable kid,” Abbott said. “He just loves to play the game … He is a gamer, and when the lights come on he knows he is ready, and he goes out and executes and plays with a lot of confidence.”

Both teams traded touchdowns later in the third quarter. John Carroll’s Mitchell Nutter punched in a two-yard touchdown, and Maplesville’s Jackson took a 50-yard run for a touchdown. The two-point conversion was no good again, and the game remained a two-possession game at 21-12. Nutter put the game out of reach midway through the fourth quarter with a 16-yard touchdown run.

Aidan Abbott led the Maplesville defense with nine tackles.

“This is something we can correct. You do not see a lot of teams that run the type of offense they did … 60-40 passes to runs,” Abbott said. “In the playoffs, if we see a team that throws it a lot it is going to help us, because we did not see a lot of predominantly passing teams this year. It is something our kids can learn from.”

Maplesville finishes the season with a 7-3 record, and hosts R.C. Hatch High School in the first round of the AHSAA Class 1A state playoffs on Nov. 4.