HAYS ā The TMP-Marian Monarchs ran their win streak to three straight games Friday night as they edged the Plainville Cardinals 36-28 in a wild one at Lewis Field in Hays.
The game started with a three-and-out for the TMP offense only to see Plainvilleās AJ Brown return the punt 53 yards for a touchdown putting Plainville up 6-0 and making TMP face a deficit for the first time this season.
It wouldnāt take the Monarchs long to answer back, scoring on a four-yard Peyton Schwartz touchdown run with the two-point conversion putting TMP back up 8-6 with just under six minutes left in the first half. It was a precursor of what was to come in Friday nightās back and fourth contest.
Plainvilleās Brown broke free for a 28-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter putting the Cardinals back on top, 12-8.
Just four minutes later the Monarchs took the lead back when Schwartz found Issac Purinton for a 31-yard touchdown through the air for both players first passing and receiving touchdowns putting TMP up 14-12. TMP held that two-point lead going into the halftime break.
With just over six minutes left in the third quarter Plainville reclaimed the lead when Jesse Wilkerson rumbled for a 63-yard touchdown run for a 20-14 lead.
TMPās Griffin Schumacher scored his ninth rushing touchdown of the season with less than two minutes left the third quarter, a run from seven yards out with the two-point conversion giving TMP a 22-20 lead.
After a Plainville fumble TMPās Schwartz threw his first of two second half interceptions resulting in a 65-yard touchdown return for Plainvilleās Roy Bright Jr. for a 28-20 Plainville lead after the two-point conversion.
Less than five minutes later Schwartz found Purinton for the second time in the game, this time from 10 yards out, for a game tying touchdown making it 28-28 with five minutes and 14 seconds to play.
The biggest play of the game came on Plainvilleās next offensive possession when Schwartz scooped up a backwards pass and took it in from 31 yards out putting TMP up 36-28 after the two-point conversion with just over two minutes and 40 seconds to play.
Plainville threatened on their final drive of the game, driving inside TMPās 30 yard line before TMPās Caden Dinkel hauled in an interception ending the Plainville threat and sealing TMPās 36-28 victory.
The Monarchs forced three Plainville turnovers and unofficially with 237 total yards of offense.
Itās the fourth straight win over Plainville and the second straight year they have started 3-0.
TMP travels to Scott City next week and Plainville travels to Oakley.