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Saints spoil homecoming

LINDEN &8212; Homecoming games are events of many festivities. It&8217;s always the one game where the home team wants to win almost more than any other game of the season.

The Marengo Academy Longhorns had two miscues, fumbles, in the early going that gave the Patrician Saints the momentum they needed.

Patrician went on the route Marengo 46-6.

Two turnovers hurt the &8216;Horns&8217; early in the first half, both after long drives. &8220;Yes, those turnovers hurts us,&8221; added Little. &8220;Going in for a score we had a penalty and a fumble. Then on the other end we had a fumble, followed by a late hit that gave then the ball and they went on to score.&8221;

Score is what the Saints did. They would get on the board first after a Marengo field goal attempt was short. Patrician returned the short field goal 99 yards for a touchdown at the 3:14 mark of the first quarter to make the score 7-0. The &8216;Horns would start another drive, marching 86 yards down field only to fumble the ball giving Patrician possession. The Saints would put together a 96-yard drive the culminated on a 23-yard touchdown run and go up 15-0 with the two-point conversion. They reached the end zone on their next possession with a 45-yard touchdown run and took a 23-point lead after another successful two-point conversion.

Marengo finally got on the board in the second quarter with less than seven minutes left to half time. Phillip Palmer returned the Saints kickoff 91 yards to close the gap to 23-6 after a failed two-point try.

Patrician would score two more times before the half. Both scores were rushing touchdowns. One from 13 yards out and the other was a one-yard plunge. The Longhorns found themselves in the whole 35-6 at half time.

In the second half Marengo couldn&8217;t get their offense going. They couldn&8217;t sustain the drives as they did in the first half. The Saints meanwhile ran the ball on almost every possession. They added another touchdown and two-pointer in the third quarter with 8:12 on the clock to go up 43-6. The final points of the night was a Patrician 35-yard field goal making the final score 46-6.

The &8216;Horns&8217;, who still hold that final playoff spot with the Escambia loss, record falls to 4-4 overall, and they are now 3-3 in the region. They go on the road next week to face Jackson Academy.