Leave it to the defense
CHERRYTWP— The offense has paved the way for the Moniteau football team. so far this season.
On Friday night, the Warriors proved they have a pretty stingy defense, too.
Fighting through a defensive stalemate, the Warriors defeated Bald Eagle, 9-0 to stay unbeaten heading into a key Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference showdown next week against Karns City.
Moniteau's defense made several big plays and forced several devastating turnovers.
Eagles quarterback Ryan MacNamara lost a fumble in Warriors' territory in the third quarter.
Moniteau's Dakota Campbell recovered a critical fumble on a Bald Eagle punt return, and the Warriors also had two fourth-quarter takeaways to seal the victory.
Moniteau coach Steve Wilson said that while he was pleased with the outcome, he recognized that it didn't come easy.
"That's by far the best team we've seen all year,"Wilson said.
Three failed red-zone attempts stalled the Warriors' offensive attack, but Wilson said he was pleased his team found a way to win and stay unbeaten.
"The kids kept battling, kept fighting,"Wilson said.
A 32-yard field goal by Adam Cousins served as the team's lone score in the first half, and the Warriors' defense made that hold up as the Eagles (2-4) failed to complete a pass in the first half.
Cousins rushed for 96 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to ice the game.
Bald Eagle coach Mike Markle said his team played a defensive gem, but too many careless mistakes and several critical penalties made the difference in the game.
"Not to take anything away, but we really thought we could line up with them," Markle said.
Markle said his team must decide how it wants the rest of its season to play out.
"We have got to get rid of emotional baggage that we've endured,"Markle said. "If you don't bring your best game, you're not going to like the result."
The schedule only gets tougher for Moniteau (6-0).
Karns City (6-0) looms on the horizon. Both teams are 4-0 in the KSAC.
Wilson said the team, while unbeaten, must continue to work on a number of fundamental issues.
Wilson was upset with several protection breakdowns that led to sacks and hurries by quarterback Tyler Armagost.
"We have to get that fixed,"Wilson said. "We still have our toughest three games of the year yet."
