McPHERSON, Kan. – McPherson High School Football defeated Rose Hill 37-35 following a come-from-behind effort to win their fourth straight game.
McPherson (4-1) trailed 28-7 towards the end of the first half after a pair of turnovers turned into points on the board for Rose Hill (2-3). The only score for McPherson by that point was a 78-yard touchdown pass from Carter Bengtson to Ashton Malm, which occurred on the first play of the second half to make the score 14-7 Rose Hill.
While it was their largest deficit since their week one loss to Great Bend, McPherson did not panic. The Bullpups ended the second quarter with a two-minute drill type of drive, ending with a 53-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Winter, cutting the deficit to 28-14 at the halftime break.
The Bullpups started the second half with the ball, using the momentum to end the first half to drive down the field and score on a two-yard run by Dane Becker. The defense forced a three-and-out to get the ball back, capped off by another Becker touchdown to tie the game at 28.
The score would stay tied until late in the fourth quarter. After recovering a Rose Hill fumble, the Bullpups drove down the field, but did not find the end zone. Instead, they took the lead on a 20-yard field goal by Jaxon Hoover, his first made field goal of the season, to go up 31-28 with 2:48 remaining.
After the ensuing kickoff, Rose Hill took the lead again in just one play. Rose Hill quarterback Zander Ford dumped a screen pass to Keedrin Jones, which he took 69 yards to the end zone to give them the 35-31 lead. Much like the end of the first half, McPherson did not panic.
They started the next drive at their own 20-yard line after a touchback. McPherson drove down the field quickly, only taking one minute and 11 seconds to find the end zone. Sophomore running back Brody Milleson crossed the goal line to give McPherson the 37-35 lead, which felt like a redemption touchdown after committing a pair of fumbles in the first half.
Rose Hill got the ball back with 1:20 remaining. On the first play, Ford stepped up to throw the ball deep, but junior defensive back Takoda Linn intercepted the ball to clinch the 37-35 win.
The Bullpups have won four games in a row, putting their record at 4-1. They will have their final road game of the regular season against league foe Mulvane Friday, Oct. 10 at 7:00 p.m.
SCORING SUMMARY
McPherson: 0 14 14 9
Rose Hill: 14 14 0 7
- 0:39 1Q – Rose Hill: 1-yard TD run by Remington Merlau (Herrera PAT Good) (7-0 Rose Hill)
- 0:09 1Q – Rose Hill: 33-yard TD run by Keedrin Jones (Herrera PAT Good) (14-0 Rose Hill)
- 11:42 2Q – McPherson: 79-yard TD pass by Carter Bengtson to Ashton Malm (Hoover PAT Good) (14-7 Rose Hill)
- 8:57 2Q – Rose Hill: 54-yard TD run by Keedrin Jones (Herrera PAT Good) (21-7 Rose Hill)
- 1:31 2Q – Rose Hill: 2-yard TD run by Sebastian Bentley (Herrera PAT Good) (28-7 Rose Hill)
- 0:28 2Q – McPherson: 53-yard TD pass by Carter Bengtson to Aaron Winter (Hoover PAT Good) (28-14 Rose Hill)
- 7:45 3Q – McPherson: 2-yard TD run by Dane Becker (Hoover PAT Good) (28-21 Rose Hill)
- 4:35 3Q – McPherson: 1-yard TD run by Dane Becker (Hoover PAT Good) (28-28)
- 2:52 4Q – McPherson: 20-yard field goal by Jaxon Hoover (31-28 McPherson)
- 2:32 4Q – Rose Hill: 69-yard TD pass from Zander Ford to Keedrin Jones (Herrera PAT Good) (35-31 Rose Hill)
- 1:21 4Q – McPherson: 1-yard TD run by Brody Milleson (Hoover PAT missed) (37-35 McPherson)
