09/22/2023
BY JACK BULLOCK
SALEM - For the first time this season the Roxana Shells faced a stiff challenge.

A trip to Salem on Friday night produced a severe test at the hands of the 3-1 Wildcats.

The hosts held their own with Coach Wade DeVries' team as Salem took a 20-16 halftime lead over the undefeated Shells.

However Roxana resembled an 18-wheeler in the third quarter.

Roxana scored four-consecutive touchdowns to start the second half and racked up 422-yards on the ground in the game as they pounded home a 57-27 victory in the Cahokia Conference Mississippi Division.

“We talked at halftime about our tempo and we went out to try and score as many points as we could,” said Coach DeVries. “We talk about 'full throttle, pedal to the metal' and I think we were able to do that tonight. Starting the second half I wanted us to score in under two minutes and I didn't care how many plays it took. We want to go as fast as the officials will allow us to go (no-huddle offense).”

Junior running back Andruw Ellis scored four of the touchdowns for the Shells and he led the rushing attack with 155-yards on 11-attempts.

Ellis scored on runs of 20, two, 52 and 20 in leading his club to a 2-0 mark in the league and 5-0 overall with the convincing win.

Evan Wells, a 6-4 duel threat running back, bulldozed through the Salem defense for 125-yards on 21-carries for the 3A state ranked team.

Sophomore Mason Crump added a late 48-yard TD scamper to end the scoring for Coach DeVries' club that wore down the host Wildcats.

Salem saw its mark drop to 3-2 overall, 1-1 in the Mississippi Division after the loss.

Coach Kevin Greene's team played well in the first half and had tested the Shells defense.

Coming into the contest, Roxana's first-team defense hadn't yielded a point in four games.

“Those kids put the work in. Ellis started as a freshman and Wells and Graves were our two starting backs when we played here two years ago and lost,” said Coach DeVries about a 32-19 Week #5 loss in 2021. “The work they have put in the weight room has shown this year. With the tempo we play at those first quarter tackles teams make against us are not that way in the second, third and fourth quarters.”

The Wildcats dented the scoreboard with three scores in the first half, including an interception return for a touchdown and a late quarter touchdown pass for a six-point halftime advantage.

The Shells responded with a no-huddle, fast paced second half offensive push that punished Salem.

The Wildcats moved the ball well most of the night but a stretch in the third quarter without much success turned a potential win into a lopsided loss.

Salem quarterback Samuel Green was a bright spot both passing and rushing.

The 5-10 senior passed for 155-yards and a touchdown (14-of-23) and rushed for another 107-yards on 19-attempts.

Junior running back Jeremiah Rinehart added 15-rushes for 90-yards and a score.

Receivers Miking Ettress and senior Conner Tennyson combined for 10-receptions and 121-yards.

But the problem on the Salem side of the field was its inability to stop the Shells running attack.

Roxana got the scoring started on its first series with an eight-play drive that stalled at the Salem 18.

A 35-yard field goal by junior Joe Newton made it 3-0 Shells.

The Shells second score came off of a turnover on downs by the Wildcats deep in Roxana territory.

A six-play, 72-yard drive culminated with the first Ellis TD romp.

Ellis took a handoff and went down the right sideline to pay-dirt.

A mistake on a two-point conversion left the Shells up 9-0 with 11:52 left in the second quarter.

Salem put together its first scoring drive with Greene doing most of the running as the Wildcats went 71-yards on eight-plays with Rinehart scoring from seven-yards out.

A successful PAT by senior kicker Matt Ambuehl cut the spread to just 9-7.

Salem scored less than a minute after that touchdown.

Roxana senior quarterback Chris Walleck went 4-of-5 passing for 73-yards on the night.

However his one miscue turned into Salem points.

The senior threw a pass into traffic that was intercepted by Tennyson, who worked his way 29-yards for a Pick 6.

Another successful PAT put Salem up 14-9 and Roxana behind on the scoreboard for the first time this season.

Roxana scored again on its next possession with Walleck making a big play by rolling out and finding senior wide receiver Aiden Briggs for a nine-yard gain to the Salem 20.

Three-consecutive runs by Wells got the Shells back the lead with the final carry going to eight-yards and a touchdown.

A successful PAT from Newton put the Shells back on top.

The Wildcats worked the ball down the field burning up over five-minutes of clock to close the half.

“We knew coming in that they (Roxana) were a good football team and they are the odds-on favorite to win the league,” said Coach Greene. “I felt like we did some good things and put some drives together but we just weren't good enough on special teams and on defense tonight.”