09/14/2024
BY JACK BULLOCK
ROBINSON - Beginning the season 0-2 is something that doesn't happen too often for programs like Mt. Carmel.

The last time MC started a season with two-consecutive was back in 2005.

The Golden Aces are a perennial playoff program and one of the winningest in the state and, after losses to Gibson Southern (IN.) and Effingham to begin the season, Coach Michael Brewers' young club was in need of a big effort on Saturday when they traveled to Robinson.

The Aces came up with a huge performance, breaking away from the host Maroons in the second half for a 44-13 win to improve to 1-2 overall and 1-0 in the Little Illini Conference.

Mt. Carmel has yet to lose an LIC game in now it's fifth season in the conference and junior running back Elliott Acree proved too hot to handle for Robinson on Saturday.

Acree led the way with 183-yards rushing on 23-attempts and a touchdown for Mt. Carmel as the Aces racked up 388-yards on the ground against the Maroons.

Sophomore Jackson Kling rambled for 66-yards on 11-rushes which included a pair of TD's.

Junior rusher Xander Bader added 57-yards on the ground and senior Tobias Fullop added 48-yards, including a long TD run in the fourth quarter as the Aces wore down the hosts in the second half.

Sophomore quarterback Shain Meador only threw four passes, completing two of them for just 19-yards.

However one of the completions resulted in a seven-yard TD to junior tight end Jack Webb.

Meador also added 28-yards rushing for Mt. Carmel in the victory.

“As for offensive execution that was our best performance yet. We played well offensively and I applaud our kids. From weeks one to two and weeks two to three we've made improvements each week,” said Coach Brewer. “We're young and so we've talked to our guys and that has to happen. We have to get better every single week.”

Coach James Kent saw his Robinson club fall to 0-3 on the season, despite playing a good first half as they led 7-6 at one point during the second quarter.

However the Maroons couldn't contain the Aces' rushing attack in the matinee contest at Crosby Field.

Robinson junior quarterback Reese Johnson passed for 117-yards with two touchdowns but hit on just 6-of-14 passes and threw two costly interceptions, one near the goal line on a first quarter drive that would have given the Maroons a lead.

Johnson was also the top Robinson player on the ground with 71-yards on seven attempts.

Of the 117-yards in the air, 90 of the yards came on three catches by senior wide receiver Khyziah Poole, including a 64-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Senior Blake Green caught the other scoring strike, a 28-yard reception late in the contest.

Junior running back Landyn Bonnell rushed for 43-yards on four carries.

The four total turnovers with two fumbles lost to go with the interceptions stopped Robinson from scoring on four separate drives.

Three of the turnovers were turned into points for the Aces.

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“We moved the ball today but we had some self-inflicted injuries (turnovers) today. We had an interception on a fourth-and-three where I think he (Johnson) could have ran a bootleg there,” said Coach Kent. “You can't fault him for trying to get it into the endzone. We had a couple of fumbles and you can't put the ball on the ground. The kids played hard today and it was physical.”

The Aces got on the scoreboard first with a sustained 87-yard drive that took 10-plays with a key completion from Meador to Webb on a fourth-and-11 from the Robinson 22.

Two plays later, Meador scored on a run around left end after faking a hand-off, which fooled the Robinson defense.

Meador went into the endzone untouched.

Although the two-point conversion failed, Mt. Carmel had the advantage at 6-0 with 6:45 left in the opening quarter.

Robinson responded with a drive down the field as they got to the Mt. Carmel 20 and faced a fourth-and-three.

Johnson rolled out to his right for a pass towards the endzone where Meador stepped in front of a Robinson receiver for and interception before stepping out of bounds at the Aces two.

“That play (interception) was huge. We stuck with it (the game-plan) and the defense did an excellent job today,” said Coach Brewer.

The hosts took their only lead of the contest in the second quarter on a very athletic play by Poole.

Johnson dropped back on a third-and-eight from the Robinson 36 and found Poole covered down the left sideline by Mt. Carmel junior defender Rhett Andrews.

Poole went up in the air and got the ball, came down and made a nice spin move out of a would-be tackle attempt by Andrews before turning the pass into a 64-yard score.

The PAT kick by Reid VanShocyk gave the Maroons a 7-6 lead with just 4:31 left in the half.

Robinson had another chance after stopping the Golden Aces.

Meador had returned the Maroons kickoff into Robinson territory before being tackled at the Maroons' 22.

The Aces were stopped a second time in the half, turning the ball over after a fourth down defensive play by Robinson senior linebacker Cameron Dennis and sophomore lineman Cruz Dunlap on a sack of Meador.

On the Maroons second play after the turnover on downs, Johnson was again picked off, this time by senior Andrew Militoni with 1:49 left in the half.

Getting the ball at their own 31, the Aces promptly moved the ball down the field taking just nine plays to find paydirt.

Bader and Meador traded carries to get the ball to the Robinson five before Acree finished the scoring drive with the final yards for a go-ahead score.

This time the two-point conversion run by Meador was good which sent the teams to the half at 14-7 Mt. Carmel.

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