Smithville playing in their final-season in the Midland Empire Conference matched up with perennial MEC favorites Maryville in a showdown for conference supremacy. Smithville playing in their final-season in the MEC knocked off Maryville 42-6 at Smithville High School on Friday night.
The Maryville Spoofhounds' (5-2, 3-2 MEC) hopes of capturing a sixth straight MEC crown are in serious jeopardy.
The Smithville Warriors (7-0, 5-0 MEC) controlled the game with a strong-running attack, timely-passing and a tough defense that held Maryville's offense scoreless and forced three turnovers on the evening keeping the Warriors' in prime-position to capture the conference title in their final season before moving to the Suburban-Blue Conference next season.
The Warriors established the run early in the first quarter after sophomore running back Isaac Miller busted off a 48-yard run sitting the Warriors up deep in Spoofhounds territory. Miller carried the ball 22 times for 160 yards and a score, but senior running back Hugh Beck capped off the drive with his first of 2 TD runs on the evening.
Beck, plunged in from a yard out for a 7-0 Warriors lead with 2:04 left in the first quarter after placekicker Ben Kesee converted the point after.
"The kids had a really good week of practice and were focused on what they needed to do," Warriors' coach Jason Ambroson said. "It's good to get one like this over a team like Maryville. I am just proud on how much these kids have invested to get a win like this to celebrate with their classmates."
The Warriors' added another score when junior quarterback Kellen Simoncic hooked up with classmate Garrett Thompson on a 14-yard score for his first of two TD tosses in the quarter. Simoncic finished 7-11 for 58 yards and 2 TD passes adding a score on the ground.
With the Warriors' ahead 14-0 Maryville junior Eli Dowis returned the ensuing kick-off back for a TD with 9:15 remaining in the second quarter he trimmed the Spoofhounds' deficit to 14-6, but it was all-Warriors for the remainder of the game.
"Words can't describe this game it's amazing. We just wanted to come out and show Maryville and this whole conference who we are," Simoncic said. "We respect Maryville, so much. This was a great win."
The Warriors added two scores (Simoncic and Miller) in the third quarter and a score from Beck in the fourth quarter for the final 42-6 margin.
"I thought we had a chance with the close-score at half, but we didn't play the way we needed to, to win," Spoofhounds' coach Matt Webb said.
Maryville stays in MEC play for a 7 p.m. game next Friday against Savannah at home.
Smithville faces another stiff MEC test at 7 p.m. next Friday when Chillicothe comes to town.
