Maranatha's Jeremy Major trying to turn the corner against Big Bear
(Big Bear)- Big mistakes, poor play, and an exhausted Maranatha team fell to Big Bear Saturday afternoon 27-17.
The first 7:24 of the game was perfect for the Minutemen. Sophomore quarterback Andrew Ellfers engineered a 13-play 72-yard drive that shredded the first quarter clock and ended with Jeremy Major’s 2-yard run.
Ellfers was 4 for 4 on the march for 32-yards and he ran for 15 more as Maranatha took firm control…for about a minute.
All week long Minuteman DC Henry Rodriguez preached one thing after breaking down game film on Huddle.Com. One thing: Stop the quarterback.
“Just one thing guys,” he said. “Stop the quarterback, just stop the quarterback!”
On the Bears third offensive play quarterback Zakk Planz ran his team’s triple option and went 62-yards through the heart of the defense for the game tying touchdown.
After Maranatha took another five minutes off the clock before its drive stalled at the Big Bear 21 and they missed a field goal the Bears took over again.
Planz, and his offense, was quickly shutdown and forced to punt. On the kick the ball touched a Minutemen player and the home team recovered.
With new life at its own 43, Big Bear pushed to the Maranatha 42. From there Planz turned the corner and went the distance to paydirt.
Before the half ended the Minutemen would rally on a field goal by Matt Marbach from 26-yards out and 37-yard strike from Elffers to wide receiver Josh Jones.
“After that I thought; okay, we’re gonna get it together and be okay,” said Maranatha HC Joel Murphy.
The Minutemen didn’t score again as the Bears offense led by Planz and key runs by Paul Topoleski and Haley Chlebik wore down the Minutemen.
In the fourth Planz (18-149-yards rushing) scored his third touchdown on a 2-yard run that finished a 78-yard drive.
On Maranatha’s next series Ellfers was intercepted by Topoleski. From the Minuteman 23, with everyone in the box, Big Bear’s Tyler Westplat ran a quick slant over the top and was hit by Planz for the game’s final score.
Elffers finished 16 of 26 for 221-yards a touchdown and two picks.
“Unacceptable gentlemen,” Murphy told his team after the game. “Unacceptable across the board!”
Next week Maranatha plays La Salle in what the athletic directors at both schools have dubbed “The Crown City Showdown”.
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