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With tons of help from Daelen McClendon and Tyler Duncan, Prague’s Red Devils cranked their way into a Class 3A postseason berth with a 56-26 triumph over Star Spencer Friday night.
McClendon, a sophomore, scored four rushing touchdowns and garnered a total of 240 yards on 23 carries as the Red Devils improved to 4-6 overall and 4-2 in District 3A-4. Three of McClendon’s scores were for 29 yards or more, and the longest trot was a 41-yard scamper on the opening play of the second quarter.
Duncan, Prague’s quarterback, was also a big contributor to Prague’s 465-yard rushing total on the night. The senior scored three times — on runs of 18 yards, 1 yard and 35 yards — and piled on a grand total of 211 yards on 19 attempts.
Duncan’s largest gain of the night was a 56-yard effort late in the second quarter that set the Devils up first-and-goal at the Bobcats’ 3. McClendon finished off the drive with his shortest scoring run of the game.
Star Spencer managed 201 yards on 38 rushes, and quarterback Darion Bogus passed for 28 yards while completing six of 18 tosses. Bogus was picked off four times, but two of those interceptions were negated by interference calls on the Red Devils.
Duncan was not intercepted and was successful on three of eight passes for 41 yards. His longest connection of 16 yards was to Kenneth White on Prague’s first of two third-quarter scoring drives. That possession was capped by a 38-yard run to pay dirt by McClendon.
“Daelen had a good night and Tyler had a good night,” said Prague head coach Chuck Atchison, whose Devils enter next week’s playoff picture as the third-place crew in 3A-4.
“After starting the year at 0-4, the kids never gave up,” Atchison said. “I’m really proud of the kids. They’ve just battled and that says a lot.
“We’ve fought back and I’m really proud of the kids.”
Prague scored the first 14 points of Friday’s contest in a span of only 13 seconds, beginning with Baruck Strickland’s 39-yard return of a blocked Bobcat punt at the 8:29 mark in the first quarter. Star Spencer fumbled the ball away on its first snap of the ensuing possession, and Prague’s offense — by way of McClendon’s feet — needed just one play to span the 29-yard gap to the end zone.
The clock read 8:16 and the hosts were already up 14-0, but the first-quarter circus was just getting started.
Carlos Hutson’s cross-country kickoff return of 72 yards made it 14-6, and the clock read 8:02 — three TDs in only 27 seconds.
The Red Devils led 21-6 after one quarter, and were up 35-12 at halftime. Stevo Henderson scored Star Spencer’s second touchdown of the night from 5 yards out with 7:15 remaining in the first half, and after two more Prague scores, Hutson struck from 42 yards with 7:41 left in the third to make it 42-18.
Kenneth Davis Jr. scored the Bobcats’ final TD of the night — a 2-yard run with 9:27 left to play — and Davis’s 2-point conversion was Star Spencer’s only successful PAT attempt of the game. Conversely, Prague’s Strickland was a perfect 8-for-8 on point-after kicks.
Duncan punctuated the match with his 35-yard rushing score with 7:45 left to play, and the Devils were in possession as backup QB Blake Hill took a knee to end the showdown.
Prague finished the night with 20 first downs to 11 for the Bobcats.
Prague will face an as-of-yet undetermined opponent as the Class 3A district playoffs unfold next week.
With tons of help from Daelen McClendon and Tyler Duncan, Prague’s Red Devils cranked their way into a Class 3A postseason berth with a 56-26 triumph over Star Spencer Friday night.
McClendon, a sophomore, scored four rushing touchdowns and garnered a total of 240 yards on 23 carries as the Red Devils improved to 4-6 overall and 4-2 in District 3A-4. Three of McClendon’s scores were for 29 yards or more, and the longest trot was a 41-yard scamper on the opening play of the second quarter.
Duncan, Prague’s quarterback, was also a big contributor to Prague’s 465-yard rushing total on the night. The senior scored three times — on runs of 18 yards, 1 yard and 35 yards — and piled on a grand total of 211 yards on 19 attempts.
Duncan’s largest gain of the night was a 56-yard effort late in the second quarter that set the Devils up first-and-goal at the Bobcats’ 3. McClendon finished off the drive with his shortest scoring run of the game.
Star Spencer managed 201 yards on 38 rushes, and quarterback Darion Bogus passed for 28 yards while completing six of 18 tosses. Bogus was picked off four times, but two of those interceptions were negated by interference calls on the Red Devils.
Duncan was not intercepted and was successful on three of eight passes for 41 yards. His longest connection of 16 yards was to Kenneth White on Prague’s first of two third-quarter scoring drives. That possession was capped by a 38-yard run to pay dirt by McClendon.
“Daelen had a good night and Tyler had a good night,” said Prague head coach Chuck Atchison, whose Devils enter next week’s playoff picture as the third-place crew in 3A-4.
“After starting the year at 0-4, the kids never gave up,” Atchison said. “I’m really proud of the kids. They’ve just battled and that says a lot.
“We’ve fought back and I’m really proud of the kids.”
Prague scored the first 14 points of Friday’s contest in a span of only 13 seconds, beginning with Baruck Strickland’s 39-yard return of a blocked Bobcat punt at the 8:29 mark in the first quarter. Star Spencer fumbled the ball away on its first snap of the ensuing possession, and Prague’s offense — by way of McClendon’s feet — needed just one play to span the 29-yard gap to the end zone.
The clock read 8:16 and the hosts were already up 14-0, but the first-quarter circus was just getting started.
Carlos Hutson’s cross-country kickoff return of 72 yards made it 14-6, and the clock read 8:02 — three TDs in only 27 seconds.
The Red Devils led 21-6 after one quarter, and were up 35-12 at halftime. Stevo Henderson scored Star Spencer’s second touchdown of the night from 5 yards out with 7:15 remaining in the first half, and after two more Prague scores, Hutson struck from 42 yards with 7:41 left in the third to make it 42-18.
Kenneth Davis Jr. scored the Bobcats’ final TD of the night — a 2-yard run with 9:27 left to play — and Davis’s 2-point conversion was Star Spencer’s only successful PAT attempt of the game. Conversely, Prague’s Strickland was a perfect 8-for-8 on point-after kicks.
Duncan punctuated the match with his 35-yard rushing score with 7:45 left to play, and the Devils were in possession as backup QB Blake Hill took a knee to end the showdown.
Prague finished the night with 20 first downs to 11 for the Bobcats.
Prague will face an as-of-yet undetermined opponent as the Class 3A district playoffs unfold next week.
