McKenzie’s Marquez Taylor has had his turn in the spotlight a few times this year. Last week, it was Jackson Cassidy’s turn.
This week, Zay Webber took his turn in the white-hot glow. The McKenzie receiver had four catches for 183 yards and four touchdowns as the host McKenzie Rebels improved to 8-0 with a 56-0 victory over Gleason. Webber had a 63-yard TD pass called back because of a penalty.
Cassidy had another solid, economical night. He was 7-11 for 213 yards and four TDs. His understudy, sophomore Tate Surber had a good night in a mop-up role. He was 2-3 for 61 yards and a score.
The Rebels took control early and scored often, surging to a 49-0 halftime lead. It took only 46 seconds to get on the board. Cassidy, on McKenzie’s third play of the game, looked up Webber for a 40-yard score. The completion lifted Webber past the 1,000-yard reception mark. Aird, with11:14 to play, booted the first of his eight extra points for a 7-0 lead.
It didn’t take long for the Rebels to ring the bell again. Cassidy hooked up with Webber again for a 60-yard TD strike with 7:54 to play. On the ensuing Gleason possession, Camden Allison picked off a Gleason pass. Two plays later, Taylor rambled 38 yards for pay dirt and McKenzie led 21-0 with 5:23 remaining in the first.
Gleason forced a McKenzie punt on the Rebels’ next possession. But the Rebels got the ball back in the second quarter and needed only 1:18 to score again. Cassidy hit Stafford Roditis for a 10-yard TD pass for a 28-0 lead. McKenzie’s Zach Aird secured another interception and the Rebels made Gleason pay. Again, Cassidy found Webber for 38 yards and the Rebels padded their cushion to 35-0 with 9:02 left in the half. On the first play of McKenzie’s next drive, the Cassidy-Webber axis struck again for 45 yards with 6:22 to play. The Rebels led 42-0.
McKenzie snared another interception and Cassidy, Webber and crew turned it over to sophomore quarterback Tate Surber. The Rebels marched down to the 1 where Brady Brewer scored from the 1 with 2:17. The Rebels led 49-0 and that’s how the half ended.
Late in the third, Surber located Dalton Hatley for a 51-yard TD pass with 1:12 left in the third. The Rebels led 56-0.
Gleason’s Landon Goad raced 20 yards down to the McKenzie 30. After a holding call, Goad ran for 7 more following a holding call, but it wasn’t enough to get the first down. Gleason turned the ball over on downs and the Rebels ran out the clock.
Cassidy was 7-11 for 213 yards and five touchdowns. Taylor led the Rebels in rushing with four carries for 65 yards and a touchdown. McKenzie stacked up 416 total yards.
Gleason’s Drake Lovell carried 15 times for 53 yards to lead the Bulldogs. Goad carried four times for 26 yards. Gleason amassed 96 yards.
The Bulldogs fall to 3-4, 1-2 in Region 6A and will host McEwen Friday night. Dresden defeated the Warriors 56-14.
The No. 1-ranked Rebels improve to 8-0 and will have Friday night off. The Rebels will return to the field when Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central visits Oct. 21.
