Mac comes out eager to show what they have this season

MacArthur came into Thursday’s season enthusiastic and eager to showcase all phases of the game and the good thing was it took the Highlanders just one half to score in just about every way imaginable. At press time Mac was winning 60-6 over John Marshall at Cameron Stadium.

Mac’s defense put two pick-6 touchdowns on the board in the first half, that unit also recovered a JM fumble ion the end zone for another score and the defense set up several other scores as the Bears were unable to get anything going against the aggressive Highlanders’ defense.

The Bears collected just a pair of first downs in the opening half and they had minus-56 rushing and three interceptions.

Marquis Harris set up Mac’s first score when he intercepted a bad JM pass the third play of the game. The Highlanders needed five plays to score with Dane Edwards hitting Boux DeLong on a 31-yard touchdown pass that was perfectly thrown.

Mac’s offense was unable to move on its second try but Auston Adam stepped in front of a JM receiver, made a nice interception, and raced 27 yards to score.

Another defensive stop set the stage of Jeremy Hutcheson to get his first touchdown of the season on a 4-yard run and things were quickly deteriorating for the visitors.

The Highlanders then produced the first of two safeties, the first setting the stage for an Edwards TD pass to Josh Rushing, this one from just three yards out as the Bears guessed wrong by plugging the middle and Edwards made a good read and found the wide-open receiver in the left flat.

The next TD came when Shaun Hughes recovered a fumble in the end zone as the Bears suddenly started having bad snaps in the shotgun, always a problem. That score came with 7:17 left in the half and after the Bears fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Mac recovered at the 1-yard-line it was another easy score and a 37-0 lead.

That was time for Rushing to return another interception for a score as the Bears were just going through the motions.

That prompted the officials to talk with both coaches about a running clock in the second half and that kept things from getting even more lopsided.

While Mac was dominating, Coach Brett Manning had to be concerned about 100 yards in penalties in the first half, the only issue that didn’t go as scripted.