Tigers blast Madison-Plains, 53-20, on Homecoming WATCH THE VIDEO ROUNDUP

    What a way to celebrate Homecoming.

   The McClain Tigers erupted for a 26-0 blast, scoring early and often in the first quarter Friday night, en route to a 53-20 victory over the Madison Plains Golden Eagles.

   After a brief but heavy downpour just prior to kickoff, senior runningback Zach Matracia rumbled for a 40-yard touchdown less than two minutes into the  game. Luis Rivas' kick was wide left and McClain held a quick, 6-0 lead.   

   With 4:39 to play in the first period, quarterback Camron Cooper found Joe Barnhart for a second Tigers' TD. Cooper passed to Jared Loftis for the two-point conversion and it was 14-zip.

   Barnhart set up the score with his defense, recovering a Madison-Plains fumble on a Plains' option play.

 & ;nbsp;     Two minutes later, Matracia made a spin move and scored from 10 yards out to send McClain to a 20-0 lead.

   "We executed very well," McClain Coach Randy Closson said after the game. "Camron Cooper adds another dimension to the offense with his ability to throw downfield. And we won the battle in the trenches tonight."

   In addition to having a solid passing night and engineering the Tigers' offense to 236 first-half yards, Cooper also used his legs. He scored from

five yards out at the 1:13 mark, giving the Tigers a commanding 26-0 edge after 12 minutes.

   A Shaun Haddox fumble recovery helped set up the score.

   The Tigers' offense started the second quarter with three consecutive nine-yard running plays. On first down from the 45, Loftis busted a

nine-yard gain. On second and 1, Loftis ran for nine more. Cooper then picked up another nine yards. Three plays later, Cooper found tight end Joe

Barnhart for a 20-yard touchdown. Rivas drilled the point after and it was 33-0 with 8:51 left in the half.

   The Golden Eagles were finally able  to sustain a drive on their next possession. Sophomore halfback Stephen Lemieux had two good runs from

scrimmage and quarterback Seth Castro completed a pair of passes. However, on third and five at the 22-yard line, Lemieux was hit hard by Matracia and

Haddox after a two-yard gain. The Eagles tried a screen pass to Ryne Davis on fourth down, but a strong, open-field tackle by Matracia stopped the

drive.

   McClain regained possession on downs and wasted no time. Loftis scored from 15 yards out and Rivas split the uprights for a convincing, 40-0

halftime lead. 

     Madison-Plains scored three second-half touchdowns, as Castro ran for a score, connected to Davis for a second TD, and Lemieux added a final Golden Eagles' touchdown.

   Matracia scored on a 64-yard TD run for McClain in the second half and Dillon East scored the final Tigers' points at the end of the fourth

quarter.

   McClain improves to 4-1 on the season, while Madison-Plains falls to 0-5.

   The Tigers travel to Washington C.H. on Oct. 1 for a South Central Ohio League contest with the Blue Lions (5-0).

Tiger Tales...Unofficially, Zach Matracia carried just 10 times for 188 yards Friday night... Camron Cooper ran the offense very well and completed

5-of-7 attempts for 70 yards and two TDs...Joe Barnhart and Thorne Hester combined for a monster sack of the M-P quarterback in the second

period...The Golden Eagles attempted a reverse return on a kickoff and the old hook-and-lateral play, which has rarely worked since Amos Alonzo Stagg

stopped coaching. They were still fun to watch, though...Stephen Lemieux carried the ball 17 times for 140 yards for the Eagles...In pregame

ceremonies, Zach Matracia and Camron Cooper struggled when they tried to place the crown on Homecoming queen Kelsey Davis. She finally took the tiara

from the players and quickly placed it on her head....All in all, a great Homecoming night in Greenfield.GR

GREENFIELD — What a way to celebrate Homecoming.

The McClain Tigers erupted for a 26-0 blast, scoring early and often in the first quarter Friday night, en route to a 53-20 victory over the Madison Plains Golden Eagles.

  
After a brief but heavy downpour just prior to kickoff, senior runningback Zach Matracia rumbled for a 40-yard touchdown less than two minutes into the  game. Luis Rivas' kick was wide left and McClain held a quick, 6-0 lead.   

   
With 4:39 to play in the first period, quarterback Camron Cooper found Joe Barnhart for a second Tigers' TD. Cooper passed to Jared Loftis for the two-point conversion and it was 14-zip.

  
Barnhart set up the score with his defense, recovering a Madison-Plains fumble on a Plains' option play.

      
Two minutes later, Matracia made a spin move and scored from 10 yards out to send McClain to a 20-0 lead.

  
"We executed very well," McClain Coach Randy Closson said after the game. "Camron Cooper adds another dimension to the offense with his ability to throw downfield. And we won the battle in the trenches tonight."

Among those Tiger linemen winning the battle in the trenches were Aron Hamilton, John Caskey, Preston Wagner, Brandon Davis and James Mann.
  
In addition to having a solid passing night and engineering the Tigers' offense to 236 first-half yards, Cooper also used his legs. He scored from five yards out at the 1:13 mark, giving the Tigers a commanding 26-0 edge after 12 minutes.

  
A Shaun Haddox fumble recovery helped set up the score.

  
The Tigers' offense started the second quarter with three consecutive nine-yard running plays. On first down from the 45, Loftis busted a nine-yard gain. On second and 1, Loftis ran for nine more. Cooper then picked up another nine yards. Three plays later, Cooper found tight end Joe Barnhart for a 20-yard touchdown. Rivas drilled the point after and it was 33-0 with 8:51 left in the half.

  
The Golden Eagles were finally able  to sustain a drive on their next possession.

Sophomore halfback Stephen Lemieux had two good runs from scrimmage and quarterback Seth Castro completed a pair of passes. However, on third and five at the 22-yard line, Lemieux was hit hard by Matracia and Haddox after a two-yard gain. The Eagles tried a screen pass to Ryne Davis on fourth down, but a strong, open-field tackle by Matracia stopped the drive.

  
McClain regained possession on downs and wasted no time. Loftis scored from 15 yards out and Rivas split the uprights for a convincing, 40-0 halftime lead. 

    
Madison-Plains scored three second-half touchdowns, as Castro ran for a score, connected to Davis for a second TD, and Lemieux added a final Golden Eagles' touchdown.

  
Matracia scored on a 64-yard TD run for McClain in the second half and Dillon East scored the final Tigers' points at the end of the fourth quarter.

  
McClain improves to 4-1 on the season, while Madison-Plains falls to 0-5.

  
The Tigers travel to Washington C.H. on Oct. 1 for a South Central Ohio League contest with the Blue Lions (5-0).

Tiger Tales...Unofficially, Zach Matracia carried just 10 times for 188 yards Friday night... Camron Cooper ran the offense very well and completed 5-of-7 attempts for 70 yards and two TDs in his first game of the season...Joe Barnhart and Thorne Hester combined for a monster sack of the M-P quarterback in the second period...The Golden Eagles attempted a reverse return on a kickoff and the old hook-and-lateral play, which has rarely worked since Amos Alonzo Stagg stopped coaching. They were still fun to watch, though...Stephen Lemieux carried the ball 17 times for 140 yards for the Eagles...In pregame ceremonies, Zach Matracia and Camron Cooper struggled when they tried to place the crown on Homecoming queen Kelsey Davis. She finally took the tiara from the players and quickly placed it on her head....All in all, a great Homecoming night in Greenfield.