MASON- Football is easy when the other teams just gives you the ball. Iraan turned it over on three of its first five plays, which allowed Mason to build a big early lead and rumble to a 58-7 victory Friday night at The Puncherdome in Mason.
The Braves ended up with five turnovers in the first half – three fumbles lost and two interceptions. They also failed a fake punt in the second quarter. Mason scored touchdowns on each of its fist six drives, five of which started in opponent territory because of Iraan mishaps.
“We were very fortunate in the first half to get so many turnovers,” said Mason coach Kade Burns. “It gave us a real short field on pretty much every one and we were able to capitalize.”
Photo via Ozzy Jaime, TexasHSFootball.com
Mason senior Bode McMillan intercepted a pass that was under thrown into double coverage on the second play of the game and senior quarterback Otto Wofford kept it on a fourth down speed option for a 14-yard touchdown to give Mason a quick 7-0 lead.
Senior Emanuel Martinez stripped Iraan senior Kyle O’Bannon on the next drive. Junior Chandler Buntyn recovered the fumble and two plays later junior Jake Cockerham cut outside and walked in for a two-yard score.
Martinez recovered a fumble when Iraan senior Camden Chaney ran into a mob of Puncher defenders and the ball popped out. That led to Cockerham’s second score as he dragged a defender into the end zone from six yards out to make it 21-0 with 3:50 left in the opening period.
Photo via Ozzy Jaime, TexasHSFootball.com
Mason went up 35-7 when Wofford faked a wide receiver screen and threw it over the top to senior Jake Comey for a 43-yard touchdown. Iraan botched a handoff on the ensuing drive and Mason sophomore Klay Klaerner barreled in from eight yards a play later to give the Punchers a 42-7 lead with 8:22 left in the second quarter.
“You can’t win on the road like that,” said Iraan coach Mark Kirchhoff. “That’s No. 1: penalties and turnovers.”
Per usual, the Mason offense got it done on the ground. The Punchers rushed for 313 yards on 41 carries. Cockerham had four touchdowns on 14 carries for 50 yards. Klaerner added 96 yards and a score on five carries, Martinez had 56 yards on five totes and Wofford ran for 38 yards on six attempts while completing 5-of-10 passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
Iraan’s lone score came late in the first quarter when junior quarterback Brodey Myers ran right for 14 yards before pitching it to O’Bannon, who raced down the sideline for a 72-yard score. Mason held the Braves to just 58 yards on their other 37 plays.
Feature Photo by Ozzy Jaime, TexasHSFootball.com
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