Wichita, Kansas – The Bulldogs traveled to Equity Bank Park on Saturday afternoon to face Southwestern College in a massive KCAC matchup with playoff hopes on the line for both sides. McPherson battled back from a 24-point deficit in the second half but came up just short, falling to the Moundbuilders 27-24.
The Basics
Location: Equity Bank Park
Records: MC 7-2 (1-2 KCAC), SC 8-1 (3-0 KCAC)
Score: MC 24, SC 27
How it Happened
Southwestern jumped out to an early lead, scoring twice in the opening quarter to take a 14-0 advantage. The Moundbuilders found the end zone on a 19-yard touchdown pass from James Odom to Dazurre Paggett before adding a two-yard rushing touchdown from Christian Steward late in the quarter.
The Bulldogs responded in the second quarter with a 23-yard field goal from Jason Weston, capping off a lengthy drive to put McPherson on the board. However, Southwestern added another touchdown just before halftime, with Odom punching it in from one yard out to give the Moundbuilders a 21-3 lead heading into the break.
Southwestern extended its lead to 27-3 early in the third quarter after recovering their own kickoff on a sky kick to begin the half. The Moundbuilders capitalized on the possession with a three-yard touchdown pass from Steward to Bryce Chambers.
After missing the first half of the game, Ryan Markarian and the Bulldogs McPherson commenced their comeback on the ensuing possession, as Jalil Brown broke through for a 10-yard touchdown run to cut into the deficit. Brown found the end zone again later in the third quarter, this time from 19 yards out, bringing the Bulldogs within 10 points at 27-17 heading into the final quarter.
The Bulldogs continued to fight in the fourth quarter, putting together an 11-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a four-yard touchdown reception by Kameron Hamid from Markarian. The touchdown brought McPherson within three points with 2:51 remaining.
McPherson would have one more possession with a handful of seconds left on the clock, but they were deep in their own territory. On the last play of the game, Markarian found Jalil Brown through the air, but Brown was unable to work any further than 35 yards downfield. The Moundbuilders sideline stormed the field as they took the 27-24 victory.
Brown led the Bulldogs on the ground with 65 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. Markarian completed 14 of 21 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown, while Jamai Rutherford led the receiving corps with five catches for 95 yards.
Defensively, Nate Campbell paced McPherson with 16 total tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss. Lester Amos added six tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, while Kenneth Ray recorded two tackles for loss.
McPherson finished with 317 yards of total offense, compared to 255 for Southwestern. The Bulldogs also held a 121-114 advantage in rushing yards and a 196-141 edge in passing yards, but three interceptions proved costly in the narrow defeat.
