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[Rocketcorner News]

McComb Rolls past Tiffin Calvert in Regional Semifinal

​Milbury, OH – Through two weeks of postseason play, the McComb Panthers have yet to surrender any points defensively. Combine that with a solid senior class of 14 kids, a four year starter in Jerry Brown, and you got yourself a whale of a team.

​The Panthers put up 520 yards of total offense, with four year starter Jerry Brown and fellow senior Cody Wilson combining for 353 of those yards. However, the demise of the Senecas was Brown’s 227 first half yards in a 42-0 win over (7-5) Tiffin Calvert Friday evening.

​After holding the Senecas to a three-and-out on their first possession, you could tell that the Panthers were hiding no secrets as early on they went to their Senior standout Jerry Brown. Brown accumulated 85 yards on the ground in a 5 play scoring drive that had McComb up early (7-0).

​Calvert, who was unable to get really any one of their three (Long, Warnement, Kwiat) talented guys going, was stuffed three consecutive times on their following possession and faced another 4th and long. McComb looked to be heading for another scoring drive, however this time Brown coughed up the ball and the Senecas took over with great field position. However, that field position meant nothing as the stout defense of McComb who came in giving up just under 10ppg, stopped the Senecas for another three-and-out.

​McComb wasted very little time on their ensuing possession, as quarterback Dalton Buck connected with Mitch Schroeder on a 30 yard pass play, and two plays later Buck took it in from 9 yards out on the ground (14-0).

​However, Seneca fans still showed signs of staying optimistic, as Calvert trailed 14-0 early last week against Norwalk St. Paul. Starting with pretty good field position on McComb’s 45, the Senecas put together their only scoring chance of the night thanks to a personal foul penalty that helped them along the way. After sophomore quarterback Tyler Long failed to connect on his first pass play, Long scrambled for 21 yards the following play and had the Senecas sitting pretty at the McComb 24. After a short gain by senior back Daniel Kwiat, the Panthers appeared to be jawing too much and received a personal foul penalty that moved the Senecas inside the redzone. However, the Senecas couldn’t pick up another first down as a heavy dose of Kwiat and Long managed very little and McComb once again took over.

​McComb strung together another very good drive that started deep in their own territory, but that drive stalled 8 plays later when Calvert’s Donavan Stith intercepted Buck’s pass, which set the Senecas up near mid-field. However, Calvert stalled once again and was forced to another three-and-out. And, on fourth down the Senecas might have made their biggest mistake of the game. Still only down two scores, the Senecas could have chosen to play it safe and pin the Panthers deep. However, they elected to try the fake punt-pass and senior backup quarterback and punter Eric Elchert nearly connected on the first down. But, that wasn’t the case and the Panthers never looked back.

McComb scored on their following drive thanks to a Jerry Brown 52 yard run that helped spark the scoring possession, when Cody Wilson scored from three yards out two plays later (21-0). And, after two possessions, one by both schools, the score would remain the same heading into halftime.

Following halftime McComb’s scoring plays consisted of a Cody Wilson 3yd run, Clay Dysert 20 yard run and an Andrew Gibson short touchdown run. All-in-All, the McComb Panthers ran at will on Friday evening against Tiffin Calvert.