The Magee Trojans are headed to the third round of playoffs after an impressive 21-12 victory over Kemper County last week.
Head Coach Chase Courtney stopped the heart attack meter at 3 this week as his team fought from behind for a second half comeback and shut out the Wildcats in the second half to punch their ticket to the next round.
Kemper County scored on their opening drive of the game to take a 6-point lead. The Trojans answered on a quick pass from Kendal Middleton to Ken Porter for their first touchdown. Brady Fairchild converted the extra point to give the Trojans an early lead.
Both defenses adjusted, and the teams began trading possessions until late in the second quarter. The Wildcats put together a scoring drive, thanks to some penalties by the Trojan defense. The Wildcats were able to move the ball into the red zone and punch it for a 12-7 lead at halftime.
On offense the Trojans were able to move the ball with some success, but drives would stall near midfield. Penalties played a big factor in the first half, which led to the Trojans trailing.
Middleton led the Trojan offense onto the field to start the second half but they quickly went 3 and out. Momentum favored the Wildcats until Ken Porter said otherwise. The Wildcats took a shot down field,but Porter made a great read on the play and broke towards the ball, intercepting the pass.
Following the interception the Trojans picked up two first downs before a missed opportunity on a fourth and short ended their next drive. However, the play gave the Trojan defense life, and they forced another turnover at midfield on a fumble recovery by DeLarrius Hayes.
Ken Porter made quick work of the Wildcat defense, breaking for a 56-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive. to the endzone after picking up a good block from his guard. Middleton moved the pile on a successful 2-point conversion attempt to give the Trojans a 15-12 lead to start the fourth quarter.
The defense would bend but not break. The Wildcats moved the ball to the red zone looking to score. A big sack by Kyshawn Ducksworth and Zykerian Magee on third down moved the Wildcats back. A desperate heave to the endzone on fourth down was well defended, and the Trojan offense took over.
The teams traded possession until the 5 minute mark. The Trojans possessed the ball and relied on their rushing attack to keep the clock moving. Ken Porter broke for another long run, moving the ball to the Wildcat 30-yard line.
Coach Courtney continued to call Porter’s number, and he answered with his third touchdown of the game. Porter picked up good blocks from his teammates and broke two tackles to cross the goal line and give the Trojans a 21-12 lead with 1:26 left in the game.
With time against the Wildcats, the Trojan defensive line pinned their ears back and pressured the quarterback. Zykerian Magee came up with a sack to keep the clock running. As time ticked away, the defense held to seal the game.
The Trojans’ rushing attack was extremely effective. Ken Porter finished with 16 carries for 163 yards and 2 touchdowns and two receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown. Kendal Middleton carried the ball 11 times for 90 yards and completed 9 of 20 passing attempts for 174 yards and a touchdown.
Shandan Clark led the Trojan defense with 16 tackles followed by DeLarrius Hayes with 13 tackles, and Zykerian Magee with 9 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Head Coach Chase Courtney said, “I am so proud of our crowd for showing up and showing out. They were so loud, and they really did give us energy! It makes a difference and that was huge for us. It is huge to be moving on to the third round. It’s good to push through to the third and this is another get back game against Jefferson County.”
The Trojans will be on the road this week in a matchup against Jefferson County. The Trojans’ 2023 season ended last year in Jefferson County in the second round, but the 2024 team is motivated to produce different results.
