Hays Post
PHILLIPSBURG âTMP-Marianâs offense produced its best game of the season and the Monarchs held off a late Panther rally as they handed Phillipsburg their first loss of the season Friday night in Phillipsburg 30-22.
Phillipsburg (2-1, 2-1 MCL) opened the game with an 80-yard touchdown drive that took just six plays and a little more than three minutes off the clock as they built an 8-0 lead.
The Monarchs (2-1, 2-1 MCL) answered right back with a 14-play drive that took more than seven minutes off the clock before Carson Liles scored his first of two rushing touchdowns on the day from three yards out. After the two-point conversion it was 8-8.
Phillipsburg wasted little time, scoring on a 40-yard touchdown run less than two minutes later making it 16-8 Phillipsburg early in the second quarter.
The Monarchs again had an answered with a nine-play drive that was capped off on the first career touchdown run for Jackson Gillespie, from 16-yards out, pulling TMP within two at 18-16 after a failed two-point conversion.
On the ensuing Phillipsburg drive, TMP took advantage of a couple of Phillipsburg miscues and a Ryan Casey sack on third down that forced the only punt of the game with just under five minutes left in the first half.
TMP put together a perfect four-minute drive to end the first half driving 69-yards on 10 plays with Liles scoring his second rushing touchdown with just 36-seconds remaining in the first half with the two-point conversion giving TMP the 22-16 lead.
After scoring to close out the first half, the Monarchs were able to complete the coveted âtwo-for-one,â scoring a touchdown to close out the first half and one to open the second half.
The touchdown to open the second half was a 32-yard touchdown pass from Liles to Jacob Seib with the two-point conversion putting TMP up 30-16 with more than eight and a half minutes left in the third quarter.
Neither team was able find the end through the rest of the third quarter but Phillipsburg did cut the lead to 30-22 just six seconds into the fourth quarter.
In a wild fourth quarter TMP threw and interception and committed two turnovers on downs. Phillipsburg, for their part, also turned it over on downs and the with less than a minute remaining TMPâs Caden Dinkel intercepted a half-back pass interception inside the Monarchs 35-yard line securing the Monarchs 30-22 victory.
TMP quarterback Carson Liles completed 18-of-27 passes for 230 yards, all new career-highs, with one touchdown and one interception. Liles also rushed for 41 yards and two touchdowns.
Jacob Seib finished with a career-high seven receptions for 92 yards.
TMP will begin district play next Friday night at home against the Stanton County Trojans.