Bears storm past McLean County 48-6 . . . just before the storm comes!

Mon, 09/10/2012 - 12:40pm — Diane Dyer

Butler County football ran its record to 4-0 on the season, remaining undefeated, after dispatching McLean County on Friday night 48-6 in a game shortened by threatening weather. McLean remains winless, dropping to 0-4 on the season.

Defensively, the Bears' Zeke Woodcock set the tone early, intercepting the first play of the game and racing thirty yards for a the touchdown - the game only fifteen seconds old. The Jake Martin extra-point kick was good; Bears led 7-0 at the 11:44 mark in the first quarter of play.

McLean County, on their fourth possession, finally got on the scoreboard on a Brandon Smith 5-yard run. The kick no good, keeping the score 7-6 with 2:19 left in first quarter. The Bears responded to the challenge on the next possession with a nine play, seventy-two yard drive. On first and goal, Walker Weathers got the call and scored on a five-yard TD run. The Martin kick was good; Bears led 14-6, with 0:35 seconds left in first quarter.

Butler's defensive secondary went back to the scene of the crime and on the next Cougar possession senior Dylan Havens intercepted another Cougar pass. Three plays later on third and seventeen, QB Elijah Flener found Drake Embry open, who makes the catch, and races sixty-eight yards for the touchdown, pushing the score to 20-6 Bears with 11:09 left in the first half of play.

On the next kick-off the Cougar collapse continued. Tthe Bears take over first and goal at the 10. On fourth and goal, Flener finds Caleb Deweese in the end zone for the touchdown to make the score 26-6. Butler County goes for the two-point conversion and Flener’s pass finds Kory Johnson and the score is 28-6 Bears. Butler continued to capitalize on Cougar turnovers, including three interceptions and a lost fumble all in the first half of play, taking away any hopes of a Cougar comeback.

Butler County upped the tempo in the second half and took McLean out of the game. On the opening Bears drive of the second half, it took only ten plays and on fourth-and-goal from the two before Flener connected with Travis Brooks for the touchdown. The Martin kick was good; 35-6 Bears with 9:28 to go in the 3rd quarter of play.

McLean County, at this point, chose to continue to go to the air, trailing by such a margin. Six plays into the drive and looking to score, the next pass was intercepted by senior safety Elijah Flener, who raced 93 yards for the "pick six" touchdown. The Martin kick was good; 42-6 with 6:06 remaining in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter was short lived but not before Flener,with 9:28 to go in the game, would ramble 24-yards on a QB keeper for the touchdown to make the score 48-6. The lightning in the area at that point stopped the game by KHSAA rules. However, a short meeting between head coaches and game officials decided to end at that point by mutual agreement.

With the win, Butler County advances to 4-0 on the season and will play Grayson County this on Friday in a game of the "unbeatens" as the Cougars are also 4-0.

Here is a look at the stats and the game inside the game:

BCHS McLean Co.

First Downs 13 8

Yards Rush 86 164

Yards Pass 218 85

Total Offense 304 259

Total # Plays 45 51

Interceptions 2 4

Fumbles Lost 1 1

Turnovers 3 5

Penalties 2/15yds 4/16 yds

Punts 3/34 yd avg. 1/40 yd avg.