The Mitchell High varsity football team overcame a slow start and blew out visiting Madison 29-9 during homecoming night in Ledger on Friday, Sept. 15.
Madison (0-5) got on the board first with a field goal in the first quarter, but Mitchell (5-0) answered shortly after with a 3-yard rushing touchdown from Rylan Cooper to make the score 6-3. Cooper’s touchdown plunge capped a 10-play, 90-yard scoring drive that ate nearly five minutes off the clock.
Junior quarterback Caleb Cook hit Isaiah Turner for a 15-yard touchdown in the second quarter to put Mitchell up 14-3 after a successful 2-point conversion. That score held at halftime.
The Mountaineers padded their lead late in the third quarter with a short touchdown dive from Chase Duncan. After another 2-pointer, Mitchell’s lead ballooned to 22-3.
The Patriots cut into the lead with a fourth-quarter rushing touchdown and Duncan found the endzone again midway through the final quarter to make the final score 29-9.
Duncan finished with a team-high 95 yards and 2 scores on 12 carries. Marley McCourry added 75 yards on 7 carries and Cooper ran 10 times for 53 yards and a score.
Kaj Pittman and Dayshawn Orr had 56 and 39 rushing yards, respectively.
Cook completed 6-of-12 passes for 65 yards and one touchdown compared to one interception.
Dillon Barnett had a team-high 28 receiving yards on two catches. Kadan Phillips had a pair of catches for 11 yards.
Turner had the team’s lone receiving touchdown and Chase Duncan had a reception.
Cooper had a team-high 9 tackles, including 2 for a loss.
The Mountaineers continue conference play at Owen on Friday, Sept. 22 before coming home to host Draughn the following week.