Senior running back Isrrael De Santiago scored two touchdowns out of the McDonald County Mustangs final four plays to highlight McDonald County's effort in a four-team jamboree held Aug. 11 at Reeds Spring High School.
Facing the Branson Pirates in the final scrimmage, De Santiago capped off an eight-play, 40-yard drive with a seven-yard run for McDonald County's first score of the night.
McDonald County overcame two illegal-procedure penalties and an offsides penalty on its touchdown drive that included a five-yard first down run by Timber Teague and a nine-yard pass from Peyton Barton to Caleb Curtis to convert a third and seven.
Following its first touchdown, Teague ran for 13 yards before De Santiago found a seam in the middle of the Pirates defense to scamper 27 yards for a touchdown on the scrimmage's final play.
Branson also scored twice in its 12 plays, the first coming on a short run after a 32-yard run and the second on a 40-yard pass play.
The Mustangs varsity was shutout by Reeds Spring. McDonald County was marching on its final possession after a 20-yard run by Oakley Roessler, but the Wolves stopped McDonald County on the 12-yard line after a six-yard pass from Barton to Micah Burkholder on the Mustangs' 12th and final play.
Reeds Spring scored its only touchdown on a short run that was set up by a 25-yard pass play.
Against Aurora, a Big 8 Conference opponent McDonald County will face on Oct. 31, both team's junior-varsity squads squared off against each other. Aurora broke a long run for the scrimmage's only touchdown.
Leading the McDonald County offense was the running of Michael Williams, Logan Renner and Austin Manwiller.
"There were some good things and some bad things," said first-year coach Kellen Hoover of the Mustangs' overall play in jamboree. "We aren't peaking too early, but we did get better as the night went on and played more physical and more confident. This was the first varsity speed for a lot of kids and it was good for them to get that feel early. It was a good way to end it the way we did -- those last five or so plays. It was just good to see the kids get excited. They had some life and nice to see their confidence continue to build."
Hoover takes over as head of the Mustangs football program after five years as an assistant at Monett, which included a state championship last season.
McDonald County faces a long road trip to open the 2017 season on Friday, Aug. 18. The Mustangs face the Salem Tigers at Salem High School with kickoff set for 7 p.m. Salem claimed a 26-6 win over McDonald County in last year's season opener at MCHS.
Sports on 08/17/2017