DISTRICT FOOTBALL: Seneca staunch early on the way to third straight district title

SENECA, Mo. — Top-seeded Seneca used a stingy defensive effort and had its way offensively while building a three-score lead into the intermission before going on to pull away down the stretch for a 49-21 win over second-seeded Mount Vernon in the Class 3 District 6 championship game on Friday.

The district title is the third straight for Seneca, which hasn’t happened since 1989-1991. The Indians advance and travel to take on Ava on Friday in the Class 3 state quarterfinals.

The Indians (11-0) scored four times in the first half thanks in large part to a stifling defense, which had a takeaway that led to one of the four first-half touchdowns and 28-7 lead. The Mountaineers (10-2) scored first out of the intermission and kept the Indians off the scoreboard in the third quarter before Seneca swung the momentum permanently with an early fourth-quarter touchdown to push the lead out of reach.

Seneca struck first in the powerhouse matchup after marching down the field on the opening possession before QB Gavyn Hoover kept the ball from 12 yards out with 8:04 left in the first quarter for a touchdown and the 7-0 lead. 

The Indians took a two-score lead in the first quarter after scoring on their straight possession to open the game. RB Jackson Marrs found the edge on a first-and-goal carry before avoiding the sideline on the way to a 10-yard touchdown with less than six minutes to play for a 14-0 lead to cap another long, churning drive.

Seneca’s defense, which didn’t allow a first down in the first half until being flagged for pass interference late in the first half, forced a turnover when DB Blake Hurn hauled in a tipped pass for an interception on a third-down pass at the 44 by MVHS QB Gavin Johnston and returned it down inside the 10-yard line. On the next play, Marrs took the handoff and barrelled his way into the end zone while dragging several Mountaineers with him for a 21-0 lead with 5:29 on the block in the second period.

Hoover ripped off a 50-yard run on a keeper up the left sideline to get inside the red zone, setting up a 13-yard rushing score from Marrs on the next Seneca drive to give the Indians a 28-0 lead heading into halftime. 

The Mountaineers got on the scoreboard late in the first half when Johnston found WR Jarrett Zerby for a 23-yard connection with 39 seconds on the clock to cut the lead to 28-7.

Mount Vernon got back within two scores of the lead on the first possession of the second half. The Mountaineers struck for the big play through the air when Johnston found Zerby all alone on broken coverage for a 30-yard touchdown pass out of the locker room to cut the Seneca lead to 28-14 with 10:15 to play in the third quarter. 

After a scoreless third quarter, Seneca got on the scoreboard for the first time in the second half when Hoover kept the ball for a 15-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to push the lead back to three scores, 35-14, with 9:34 left in the game.

Hoover, who picked up a crucial fourth-down-and-3 with an 18-yard run on a broken play earlier in the drive, gave the Indians a 42-14 lead with a 23-yard rushing touchdown with 5:37 left in the game. 

Seneca used a big play late to put the game away when FB Morgan Vaughn hauled in a screen pass and broke free for a 57-yard receiving touchdown with 3:27 to play.

With 29 seconds left, Johnston found WR Jake Leeper for a 55-yard touchdown to wrap the scoring in the game.