By SCOTT HUNT shunt@chronicle-tribune.com
FAIRMOUNT — Madison- Grant powered to a fast start, a controlling finish and a 2-0 record in the Central Indiana Conference race Friday night by using a dominant performance at the line of scrimmage against Oak Hill.
The Class A fourth-ranked Argylls forced a pair of turnovers in the first three minutes of the game and led 16-0 before some folks could get to their seats with an order of nachos.
M-G stymied Oak Hill’s running game for most of the night and used a variety of ball carriers to amass more than 400 yards on the ground en route to a 48-24 win dropping the Golden Eagles to 0-2 in CIC play.
Oak Hill started the night with a jolt of momentum on Beckham Lamb’s 45-yard kickoff return that ended at the M-G 38.
But the Argylls’ quickly seized the football and momentum away on the legs of senior Cole Stitt. Stitt recovered a fumble on Oak Hill’s second offensive snap, then ripped off a 24-yard run on the Argylls’ first play.
Senior Andy Stanley started his big night with a 29-yard TD run which capped 5-play, 70-yard drive that took just 80 seconds. Stitt’s scored the two-point conversion and the Argylls were off and running.
On the second play of the Eagles’ next possession, M-G senior Nolan Anderson greeted sophomore quarterback Jett Ott in the backfield at ripped the ball away at Oak HIll’s 14.
Stitt powered in for a score on fourth-and-one. Xavier Yeagy connected with Ike Almeda on a play-action pass and Madison-Grant led 16-0 less than five minutes after kickoff.
Oak Hill went three-and-out on its next two offensive possessions, and the Argylls struck paydirt twice to go up 30-0.
Stanley scored on a 15-yard run with under three minute to play in the third quarter. Yeagy hit Zander Gillespie with a 26-yard touchdown pass less than three into the second.
“Second week in row we’ve put ourselves in a hole. Whether it was field position, whether it was turnovers, all of a sudden you’re down two scores to a really good football team,” said Oak Hill coach Bud Ozmun. “That’s just too big of a hole. Just like Mississinewa a week ago, Madison-Grant is a big, physical football team coming right at you on both sides of the ball. You just can’t yourself in the position that we did the last two weeks.”
Oak Hill managed only 9-yards rushing on 12 carries, so the Eagles went to the air and found some success.
Ott completed 5-of-8 passes in a 12-play drive, 60-yard drive that included him being sacked for a short loss by Rosin White and an Eagles’ holding penalty. Ott hooked up with senior Owen Middlesworth on a 26-yard touchdown connection with 5:30 remaining in the half.
Oak Hill forced turnovers on M-G’s next two possession, but could only cash-in once.
Junior Jared Prickett sacked Yeagy forcing a fumble that was recovered by junior Isaac Mitchener at M-G’s 34. Another holding penalty preceded Oak Hill coming up short on fourth-and-12.
M-G tried to generate a big play with its passing game on first-and-20 under two minutes before halftime, but junior Drake Pond made a leaping interception at the Argylls’ 44.
Ott found Lamb with an 11-yard touchdown pass with 16 seconds to play to cut M-G’s lead to 30-12 at halftime.
“The two turnovers were on me. I called the wrong play,” said M-G coach Brady Turner. “It was nothing that the kids did. We went back in the locker room and said just run the ball. Do what we do best and run the ball and that’s what we did. Great on the kids’ part for executing.”
Madison-Grant’s second-half offense was a clinic in execution.
Stanley’s 50-yard TD run capped a 4-play, 68-yard drive less than two minutes into the third quarter.
M-G’s next two drives consisted of 23 plays, covered 123 yards, ran nearly 13 minutes off the clock and ended with Rosin White touchdown runs of two- and 15-yards.
“Our offensive line did a great job. Our defensive line did a great job all night long. Secondary needs some work,” Turner said. “Their offense, you stack so many in the box and they play-action you, they got us quite a bit so we’ve got to get that fixed.
Our offensive line dominated. They were moving kids around. Our backs ran hard and the defense shut the run down.”
Stitt led the Argylls with 16 carries and 147 yards. Stanley had 133 yards on 12 carries and three scores. White added 12 carries for 15 yards and OJ Blackwell carried 10 times for 66 yards.
Ott completed 17-of-25 passes for 185 yards and two scores. Lamb caught nine passes for 106 yards and Middlesworth had six grabs for 68.
The passing game helped open the run and Oak Hill finished with 95 yards on 25 attempts. Lance Wyrick had 76 yards, 40 on one carry late in the third quarter, and scored on fourth-quarter TD runs of 6- and 2-yards.
“When we had to pass, they were just unloading and sending everybody. (Ott) stood in there and took some hits. He stood in there and delivered,” Ozmun said. “Really proud of what he did. Even though we weren’t able to run the ball, our O-line got into something we don’t do on a regular basis, kind of settled into it.
“They were bringing seven just about anytime we were passing. Our guys were giving him just enough time to be able to find somebody and make something positive happen,” he added. “There are positives, but the negatives outweigh the positives at this point. We just can’t big digging ourselves this hole and having to dig out and be happy that we fought back. That’s just not who we want to be and not how you’re gonna get better.”
After playing its last three games on the road, Oak Hill (2-2) returns home to face Frankton on Friday and Alexandria visits on Sept. 27.
Madison-Grant (4-0) goes to Elwood next week and to Frankton on Sept. 27. The Argylls finish the season with home games against Eastbrook (Oct. 4), Alexandria (Oct. 11) and Mississinewa (Oct. 18).