Southmont was a little better in nearly all facets of the game in a 30-7 win over Crawfordsville.
The win moves South to 3-2 on the season and 2-1 in the Sagamore Conference, plus picks up two Chase points.
The Athenians drop to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the league.
The Mounties had the edge in all the stats categories, as they hit the 30-point plateau for the fourth game in five this season.
Where they upped the level was in their passing game, as Heath Tolliver threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns, both to Aaron McMasters. South had been averaging 88 pass yards per game coming in, so adding the 100 yards elevated the offense.
“It was great to see Heath throw that well,” South coach Desson Hannum said. “It was also really good to see him run well and that combination gives our offense a lot of confidence. When we can throw when we want, we can be effective.”
McMasters, who had four catches in the first four weeks, hauled in three, and scored on two. It was 26, 59 and 32 yards as he ran by defensive coverage.
“He can be tough to cover with one guy,” Hannum said of the senior, whose 117 yards is his second 100-yard receiving game in two weeks. “Tolliver threw him some great passes.”
The 190 pass yards was supplemented by 193 rush yards, which is a normal day for the Mounties run game.
Cale Chadd beat the Athenians defense to the corner several times, and the junior finished with 90 yards in 11 attempts. Tolliver finished with 70 yards on the ground and Avery Stadler had 36 yards and a third-quarter score.
“Cale is dynamic with the ball,” Hannum said, also noting a 60-yard kickoff return that set up a short-field TD. “We knew that we needed to distribute the ball a little more, and getting him the ball is part of that plan.”
After a scoreless first quarter, the Mounties scored on the first play of the second on the 59-yard pass and run to McMasters.
On the next Crawfordsville drive, South cornerback Dylan Howell picked off a Mason McCarty pass and on the next play, it was a throw to McMasters for 32 yards and paydirt.
The Mounties scored twice in the third quarter, going 35 yards after the Chadd return and then 33 yards on their next possession, when a punt return and penalty made for a short field.
It was Stadler from two yards out and a pass to Gunnar Shirk from 18 that the scoring.
The Athenians used a nine-play, 67-yard drive in the second quarter to get on the scoreboard.
Maddox Ronco got in on a 22-yard run. Otherwise , it was tough sledding for the Crawfordsville offense, as they finished with 101 rush yards and McCarty threw for 104. Ronco caught five passes for 42 yards, while Daniel Surface had his first five receptions of the season for 41 yards. The sophomore had 52 rush yards to lead his team.
“Southmont took away a lot of our inside running,” Crawfordsville coach Brad Clark said. “The biggest thing is that we need to be able to sustain more drives. Our defensive line and linebackers played really well, and we bracketed McMasters better in the second half. We still have to get the defensive edges to turn the runners back inside more. We will continue to work hard. This is a great group of guys, who have gotten better and will continue to get better. We have young guys who are improving on the field and in leadership roles. Our depth is better; we have fewer guys playing both ways. We will get to work and get ready for North Montgomery next week.”
The Athenians travel to North for a second county rivalry matchup.
The Mounties are back home next Friday, as the meatgrinder that is their second-half schedule starts with a game against Danville.
“It’s all about continuing to get better as we see the best of the Sagamore Conference in the next four weeks,” Hannum noted. “We are starting to see the improvements we need to see. We had so much to replace after last season, and while we had guys back with experience, they are in new roles on the field and especially having to step into leadership roles. We will keep getting better as long as we can stay healthy.”
