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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Maplesville High School was impressive in its season opener on Aug. 30 defeating Isabella High School 42-19 on the road. After a bye week in week zero, the Red Devils broke a four out of the last five winning streak by the Mustangs in the series.

It was all Red Devils in the first half creating two turnovers on defense and big plays on offense. R.J. Rencher picked off a pass and Von Woods recovered a fumble to halt both of Isabella’s opening drives. Quarterback Pearce Yeargan capitalized on the second turnover, connecting with Davarian Clark for a 41-yard touchdown pass to break open the scoring. Maplesville ran for 321 yards as a team, and Yeargan’s 150 passing yards on 11-for-22 passing put Maplesville at 471 yards of total offense.

The Mustangs responded right back with a touchdown drive of their own set up by a great kickoff return by Kaden Tuttle to the Maplesville one-yard line. Running back Jedaiah Works punched it in from one yard out on the next play, but the extra point attempt was no good to keep the Red Devils ahead 7-6 at the end of the first quarter. Works carried the ball 26 times for 135 yards and two touchdowns.

Maplesville found some good fortune in the second quarter when they fumbled the ball going into the end zone, but Colby Mitchell was on the scene to scoop it up inside the five-yard line to take it in and make it 14-6 Red Devils. The onslaught continued as a long touchdown run by Maplesville was called back, but they ripped off another long scoring run two plays later by Clark from 27 yards out. The two-point conversion from Yeargan to Aidan Abbott made it 22-6.

“We have a lot of good skill players, and the way they practice they are showing us they want it, so we are going to give it to them,” Maplesville head coach Brad Abbott said. “We have a lot of guys that can catch the ball, a lot of guys that can do things in open space and Pierce Yeargan does a great job as a smart quarterback distributing the ball.”

Maplesville slid in one more explosive offensive play that resulted in points before halftime as Yeargan found Clark for a second time in the half, this one from 51 yards out to send the Red Devils into the intermission up 28-6. Both of Clark’s catches in the game went for touchdowns and 92 yards.

“I challenged them to come out and battle at halftime and I thought they did,” Isabella head coach Tate Leonard said. “(Maplesville) has a great football team and we have a lot of issues right now, but not taking anything away from them. We are playing a lot of young guys but it is what it is, and we better get better in a hurry for our region.”

Isabella’s defense came out in the second half and forced three consecutive punts by Maplesville, one a muffed snap to set the Mustangs up with a goal to go situation. Meanwhile, Works and Tuttle took in one- and 14-yard touchdown runs, respectively, and in just a quarter the Red Devils’ lead was down to single digits at 28-19. Tuttle ran for 52 yards on eight carries and a touchdown.

“Overall, for our first game I am very proud of our kids to get a win the first one out of the gates because it is what you work for all summer,” Abbott said. “They were told at halftime that Coach Leonard is a great coach, and he is going to have those guys ready to go in the second half. So, if you think that first half is indicative of what you are about to see it is not going to happen. The evidence was in the way (Isabella) came out (in the second half.)”

The Red Devils’ defense finally got a stop in the second half, which is all the offense needed to get back into a groove as Yeargan took the quarterback keeper in from 17 yards out to stretch the lead back out to 35-19. Roman Hall and Ty Bailey put the exclamation points on the game with a 35-yard touchdown run and interception, respectively. Hall was the leading rusher in the game with 221 yards on 18 carries. Woods led the Red Devils’ defense with nine tackles, and Aidan Abbott had a sack.

Isabella (1-1) was without the services of senior Garrett Price after he suffered a significant leg injury in Mustangs’ season opener against Thorsby High School. The running back will be out for several weeks, but hopes around the program are to get him back before the end of the season. Isabella travels to Sulligent High School to open Class 2A Region 5 play on Sept. 6 at 7 p.m.

“It is not going to get any easier,” Leonard said. “You learn from losses and you learn from wins, so we have to learn, and we are either going to man up or we are not.”

Maplesville (1-0) opens its region account as well with its first Class 1A Region 4 game traveling to Ellwood Christian Academy on the same day and time.