Desperate for a win after a two game losing skid, MacArthur routed Roosevelt last Friday night in a 48-20 victory.
The Brahmas needed the win to remain firmly in the playoff hunt, however, they came out somewhat sluggish on both sides of the ball. The Rough Riders have been a tough opponent throughout the season and they showed why against Mac, as they had numerous long runs and played sound defense.
Narrowly leading at halftime 17-14, the Brahmas came out revitalized and fresh in the second half as they stepped it up on both sides of the ball. The defense held the Roosevelt quarterback, Bryson Carroll, to a low completion percentage of 41 percent. The offense opened up and scored 3 touchdowns in the first 14 minutes of the second half.
The defense did not have a great game, allowing 450 yards rushing and 550 total yards. However, they kept Roosevelt out of the endzone with a pair of interceptions and timely defensive stops.
Running back Daijon Williams once again proved to be Mac’s most consistent and dynamic player as he rushed for a season high 329 yards on 25 attempts with 2 touchdowns.
With a noticeable change of mindset in the second half, Daijon Williams attributed the team’s success in the late stages to a sense of urgency.
“After losing two games in a row, we were not having another loss,” Williams said.
Williams has led the district in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns the entire season, and he now leads the district in rushing by 330 yards. He is 3rd in the city in rushing yards and 2nd in rushing touchdowns. He is the heart of the team and he could not care less about the accolades.
“It isn’t important,” Williams said. “As long as we’re getting wins, as long as we’re executing, that’s all that matters.”
The defense is last in the district in both yards allowed per game (434) and rushing yards allowed per game (280). They have been sufficient so far this season and will be asked to stop a tough Johnson offense this upcoming week.
The team has struggled ever since Churchill gave them a scare in the final minutes of a 35-28 Mac win three weeks ago, and perhaps they straightened out after their superb second half last Friday. However, one thing is for certain, there can be no lapse in execution Thursday night. Johnson and Mac look even on paper, therefore the winner will be the team that simply wants it more.
