Marker leads Vikings past Colonials
MT.PLEASANT – Albert Gallatin went on the road to face Mt. Pleasant Friday night in the Keystone Conference opener for both teams. The Vikings got 154 yards rushing and two touchdowns from senior quarterback Jeff Marker to keep AG winless, stopping the Colonials by the score of 26-20.
“No matter what happened in the exhibition games and no matter how bad we looked at times, the bottom line is how bad do you want it when conference play begins, and our kids came out ready to play,” Mt. Pleasant head coach Mark Lyons said.
Down 26-20, Albert Gallatin had a chance to tie the game after recovering a fumble near midfield late in the game. But Mt. Pleasant sealed the win when it intercepted an AG pass and ran out the clock.
The Vikings (1-0, 1-2) started quickly, jumping out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead. On its opening possession, Mt. Pleasant faced a third and eight from its own 47. Marker went back to pass and was flushed from the pocket, and managed to find his way through the Colonial defense for a 53-yard scoring run. Kaylin Chain added the extra-point to give the Vikings a 7-0 lead.
Mt. Pleasant struck again late in the first quarter after forcing Albert Gallatin into a punting situation deep in Colonials’ territory. The Vikings managed to block the punt, and the Vikings’ Zack Matlas recovered it in the end zone.
The Colonials (0-1, 0-3) managed to rebound with two scores in the period. Travis Embacher, subbing at quarterback for an injured Nate Turner, directed a 10-play 75-yard drive, which started at the AG 25 late in the first quarter, and ended with Embacher covering the final 13 yards for the score at the 9:46 mark of the second quarter. Steve Champlin’s kick left the Colonials trailing by a score of 14-7.
The Colonials tied the game on their next possession. Taking the ball at the Vikings’ 40, the Colonials put together a seven-play drive, with Embacher scoring from one-yard out. Champlin’s kick tied the game.
Justin Farrell’s 34-yard field goal late in the second quarter gave Mt. Pleasant a 17-14 lead.
The Colonials’ defense held Mt. Pleasant in check in the third quarter, until Marker broke loose with 45 seconds left in the period to score on a 48-yard run. Chain’s kick increased the Viking lead to 24-14.
Albert Gallatin got the ball back at the start of the fourth quarter, but Embacher was injured while attempting to pass and did not return.
“Travis got his bell rung a little bit, and we couldn’t get him back into the game. But he should be okay,” Colburn said. “If he would’ve been able to return to the game it could have been a different story.”
The Colonial defense helped keep the game close. Brad Trump intercepted a pass by Marker in the fourth quarter and returned it 67 yards for the score. However the two-point run by the Colonials failed, leaving the score at 24-20 in favor of the Vikings.
Mt. Pleasant picked up two points in the fourth, when the Colonials were forced to punt from their own two-yard line. The kicker ran through the end zone for a safety, giving Mt. Pleasant a 26-20 lead with a little over three minutes to play.