Hays Post Sports
SYRACUSE – The TMP-Marian Monarchs forced a season-high seven turnovers and cruised to a 52-0 victory over the Syracuse Bulldogs Friday night in Syracuse.
The Monarchs (3-2, 2-1, 3-2 MCL) started slow, punting on their first possession of the game, but Isaac Purinton intercepted the first pass of the game by the Bulldogs, setting the Monarchs up with a short field.
The Monarchs took just two plays to put the game's first points on the board, and after the two-point conversion, the Monarchs led 8-0 midway through the first quarter.
Syracuse (0-6, 0-3) answered with a long drive that came to an end on fourth down in TMP territory. Two plays later, TMP’s Carson Liles found Jackson Gillespie for the first of his three touchdown passes on the game, putting TMP up 14-0 after the failed two-point try.
After both teams were forced to punt on their next drive, Syracuse was pinned deep inside their own territory, and Grant Nehl broke free for his first of two sacks on the day, this one resulting in a safety for a 16-0 TMP lead with 11:45 to play in the first half.
And again, just two plays later, Gillespie broke into the open field for a 58-yard touchdown run, his second of three on the night, putting TMP up 22-0 with just over two minutes gone in the second quarter.
Nash Dreiling recorded his first career interception on the next Syracuse possession, and plays later, Liles found Nehls for a 27-yard touchdown pass, putting TMP up 30-0 after the two-point conversion.
Following another Syracuse fumble, one of their four on the day, TMP’s Liles found Dreiling for his first career receiving touchdown and a 38-0 TMP lead, after the conversion, with just under six minutes left in the first half.
In the second half, TMP added a one-yard Jackson Gillespie touchdown run and a Liles extra point to go up 45-0 and start the continuous clock.
Earlier in the fourth, TMP finished out their scoring with a Dreiling three-yard touchdown pass to Connor Breit as TMP closed out a 52-0 victory.
The Monarchs unofficially finished with 343 yards of offense. Carson Liles was 7-of-12 passing for 127 yards and one touchdown.
Jackson Gillespie finished with 118 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries, his second straight 100-yard rushing game.