Millbrook football
Sophomore Keith Marshall's 54-yard touchdown run in the third quarter against Broughton Friday pulled Millbrook within two points, 9-7. But the Wildcats couldn't get any closer, falling 16-7.
Millbrook stumbles in league opener
Wildcats' offense can't find stride against Broughton Friday
It wasn’t quite what the Millbrook football had in mind for junior QB Trey McFarland’s return.
After missing the last two games following a concussion, McFarland returned to an offense that couldn’t get out of its own way during a 16-7 loss to Broughton in its Cap-7 Conference opener Friday night.
The Wildcats gained just 166 yards on offense and their first six possessions resulted in a safety, a lost fumble, two interceptions and a pair of turnovers on downs.
In the end, it added up to the second straight loss for Millbrook and snapped a four-game losing streak by the Capitals.
“It just wasn’t our night,” said Millbrook WR Scott Gray. “We came out unfocused. We shot ourselves in the foot. We just couldn’t get anything going.”
Millbrook (3-3) looked especially out of sync early, running only 11 total plays on its first three drives which ended in two giveaways and a high snap that traveled out of the back of the end zone for a Broughton safety.
And after the Wildcats cut the deficit to 9-7 midway through the third quarter on a 54-yard touchdown run by Keith Marshall, the offense again broke down and gained minus-five yards the rest of the night.
“We couldn’t get anything going tonight,” said Millbrook coach Clarence Inscore.
Thanks to a bend-but-don’t-break Millbrook defense, the 2-0 score after the Broughton safety stood up until halftime as the Caps invaded the Wildcats' territory on four of their five first-half drives but came away empty each time.
Millbrook linebacker Jacon Shaner ended one possession by picking off a pass with the Capitals driving inside the Wildcats' red zone.
“We let our defense down,” Gray said. “Two weeks in a row we’ve let them down.”
Broughton finally broke through to make it a two-score game in the third when Chris Manugs rushed for the first of his two touchdowns from 14 yards out.
Millbrook also finally cracked the end zone two possessions later when Marshall hit the line of scrimmage, squirted outside and scampered up the left sideline to paydirt, cutting the Capitals' lead to 9-7 midway through the third.
But that was the last sign of life from the Millbrook offense that has managed just 21 points in the last two weeks following a 45-19 romp over Northern Durham Sept. 11.
Manugs scored from 19 yards out early in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.
Marshall finished with 103 rushing yards while Millbrook threw for only 37 yards.
Gray and fellow wide receiver Michael Thornton, who together had combined for over 400 yards receiving before Friday, were held to just 11 yards on four catches.
“We didn’t come ready to play and it showed on the football field,” Inscore said. “We played a team tonight that was hungrier than us and outplayed us in every part of the game.”
“It’s a setback,” Gray said. “But one game doesn’t make or break a season. We’ll be ready for Wakefield next week.”
Millbrook hosts the Wolverines Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. The Wildcats celebrate homecoming that night as well.
Senior Scott Gray looks for running room as a Broughton defender tries to make a tackle Friday.
