By LIONEL TIPTON
TOWANDA, Kansas – It has been 10 years since McPherson dropped down from AVCTL Division II to Division III.
In that time, the Bullpups have been a consistent power in Class 4A.
And they always have found a way to defeat Circle, including some lopsided routs.
The Thunderbirds opened their season with an easy 55-8 romp on the road at Coffeyville Field Kindley last week.
But just how good were they?
McPherson came to Circle Friday night, and the T-Birds stood toe-to-toe with the Bullpups, taking a 17-14 halftime lead on a 30-yard field goal by Franklin Ekue as the first half ended.
In the second half, McPherson managed to keep up its relentless attack, outscoring the T-Birds 20-0 and going on to a 34-17 triumph that was closer than the score indicated. The Bullpups have gone 10-0 against Circle since joining Division III.
Afterward, Circle coach Logan Clothier said that the challenge posed by a team like McPherson was a good way to gauge where the T-Birds stood.
“Week in and week out in our league, it’s so tough … McPherson is a tremendous program,” he said. “Going from that big Coffeyville win, coming off that high, to now going back to work and understanding that this is a different opponent.
“We didn’t have our best week of practice, but the kids also knew that we’re a good football team. McPherson just played a 10-times better second half, and they beat us in the second half.
“They did a tremendous job making adjustments. We’ll get back to work, and we’ll keep getting better.”
The second half was dominated by McPherson, which controlled the ball for much of the third and fourth quarters.
“They made a few more plays in the second half and kind of just wore us down,” Clothier said. “That’s also things where we as a coaching staff, will make adjustments.
“We’ve got some young guys standing on the sidelines that can help us on special teams, and we’ve got to find ways to keep getting better.”
The Bullpups ran the ball on 26 of their 40 second-half plays. And their backs, who had rushed for 107 yards in the first half, blew through holes and found themselves going into the secondary.
Sophomore running back Brody Milleson gained 112 of his 188 yards in the second half; his backfield mate, junior Dane Becker, gained 96 yards after being held to 25 yards in the first half. Milleson rushed for two touchdowns, and Becker had one. Junior quarterback Carter Bengston ran for a touchdown and hit junior Ashton Malm for another one on a 10-yard pass.
Clothier said the Thunderbirds need to improve on stopping ball carriers.
“We’ve just got to make sure we’re becoming great tacklers,” he said. “Understand our alignment and our assignment defensively, continue to evolve our defense communication-wise – and we’re getting better with that.
“Their offensive line was mashing up front, and our defensive line – we’ve got some young guys who got tired toward the third and fourth quarters. We’ve just got to continue to play with great technique and great leverage and keep getting better.”
By contrast, Circle ran only 22 total plays after halftime, including going three-and-out three times. Its only sustained drive ended with it turning the ball over on downs at the McPherson 41.
In the second half, McPherson’s defense was able to stifle Circle’s attack that had been successful in the first half. Senior quarterback Mason Stobart passed for 144 yards and a touchdown in the first half;
in the second half, he connected on only two of eight attempts for 16 yards. But his passes were crisp and pretty accurate throughout the game, a significant improvement from last year.
“Mason is a great kid and very talented,” Clothier said. “He’s gotten so much better working with our new quarterback coach and offensive coordinator, Simon McKee. Mason has improved, and our receivers are doing a tremendous job; our offensive line is blocking so well.
“It was 17-14 at halftime (and) we needed to come out and get a stop (opening the third quarter). They get a score (to take the lead), and we go three-and-out.
“A 17-point win … it looked bigger than it probably was. It was a battle almost 85-90 percent of the game.”
The Circle rushing attack that had proved so successful in the first week, struggled against McPherson’s defense, netting just 101 rushing yards for the game. Senior Franklin Ekue and sophomore Jason Smith, who combined for six of the T-Birds’ eight TDs in Week One, gained just 50 yards between them against the Bullpups, and 49 of those were by Ekue.
Ekue, already playing both ways for Circle, added place-kicking duties this week. He hit both extra-point attempts and converted the 30-yard field goal that gave the Thunderbirds the halftime lead.
“Franklin is a tremendous player,” Clothier said. “He plays so hard (and) he doesn’t come off the field, then he has a field goal; he has kickoffs … he’s a great player for our team and an awesome kid.
“He’s been a great transfer – not only for his football talent but for the impact he has had on our team. Our kids really enjoy him as well.”
To be fair, once McPherson took the lead with 5:09 left in the third quarter, Circle began to go to the air more often, and its rare running plays – seven in the entire second half – netted a minus-2 yards.
McPherson managed to maintain an even keel throughout; Circle, though making some nice plays – including a sparkling 53-yard touchdown scamper by senior Bodie Janzen on its first drive of the game – saw its execution tail off dramatically in the second half.
Circle struck quickly on Janzen’s run after taking the opening kickoff, but even with the early lead, Clothier said he knew it would be a battle.
“(We just needed) to keep our foot on the gas and keep moving forward,” he said.
He said he was confident that his team could compete with the Bullpups.
“(The early lead) wasn’t a shock to me,” Clothier said. “Our kids are a good football team, and McPherson is, too, and they respect the heck out of us.
“We couldn’t quite get that second lead. We were trying to get a two-score lead and put pressure on them that way.”
Meanwhile, McPherson (1-1) remained steady and consistent. Bullpup runners had large holes to squirt through, gaining chunks of yardage almost every time.
Unlike previous seasons, Circle has played pretty much error-free ball. Stobart was intercepted late in the game when the T-Birds were furiously trying to play catch-up.
“That was our first turnover of the year,” Clothier said. “It was a pretty clean game both ways.”
Clothier said he couldn’t recall any McPherson turnovers, but there was one fumble deep in Circle territory that denied the Bullpups as the third quarter was winding down.
Bengston coughed it up inside the Circle 20, and T-Bird senior Cooper McGaha fell on it, denying McPherson a potential score.
“He almost scooped-and-scored it,” Clothier said. “It was a fairly clean game; one turnover for them, one for us. We had some three-and-outs (in the second half) that hurt us, and on the defense we’ve got to make a couple of adjustments as well.”
The upcoming schedule isn’t doing Circle any favors.
The Thunderbirds will be on the road again next Friday, traveling to play a Mulvane team (1-1) that suffered a narrow 34-27 loss at home to Buhler in its opener, then won big at Independence on Friday night 39-6.
“They’ll be well-coached,” Clothier said. “It will be physical. They have a senior quarterback (Manny Myers) who has been playing for four years, and we’ll watch some film and get back to it.”
Circle should go in fairly healthy into next Friday’s game, escaping the McPherson game injury-free.
“That’s a testament to our weight room – and good luck,” Clothier said. “The kids have done a tremendous job (in the weight room). This has been our hardest-working group that we’ve had in my nine years (at Circle).
“I love coaching this group. They are so much fun (and) they’re great kids. I love this staff. We’re going to continue to get better, because that’s what it’s all about – getting about 1 percent better each day.”
And perhaps those lopsided routs of previous years might be gone for good, something of which Clothier is quite aware.
“I tell the kids (that) I remember the 70-7 and running-clock type stuff,” he said. “I know McPherson respects the heck out of us, and we respect the heck out of them.
“We just need to get better, and maybe we’ll see them down the road.”
McPherson 34, Circle 17
McPherson 7 7 6 14 – 34
Circle 7 10 0 0 – 17
Cir – Janzen 53 run (Ekue kick)
McP – Becker 2 run (Hoover kick)
Cir – Sawyer 21 pass from Stobart (Ekue kick)
McP – Milleson 1 run (Hoover kick)
Cir – FG Ekue 30
McP – Malm 10 pass from Bengston (kick blocked)
McP – Bengston 9 run (Hoover kick)
McP – Milleson 24 run (Hoover kick)
RUSHING – McPherson: Milleson 11-188, Becker 17-121, Bengston 4-32. Circle: Janzen 1-53, Ekue 15-49, Smith 3-1, Oliver 1-0, Stobart 2-(-15).
PASSING – McPherson: Bengston 12-19-0-134. Circle: Stobart 12-23-1-160. Ekue 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING – McPherson: Malm 6-80, Becker 3-27, Barkley 1-18, Bullocks 1-12, Milleson 1-(-3).
