MT. PLEASANT – Fort Madison may have gotten the game they were looking for Friday night, but a halftime rattle was needed to get it done.
The Bloodhounds got things back on track with a 55-14 drubbing of Mt. Pleasant at Evans Field in the Mapleleaf Athletic Complex in Mt. Pleasant.
Hound quarterback Marcus Guzman returned in a big way after sitting out last week’s contest with Mt. Vernon. Guzman went off for 213 yards on the ground and four touchdowns. He was 17 of 28 through the air for 177 yards.
Guzman was also rotated into the secondary in the second half after Mt. Pleasant was able to convert some big pass plays in the first half. The junior was recovering from a knee ailment suffered in Fort Madison’s win two weeks ago over Keokuk.
Head Coach Derek Doherty said Guzman, who played defense sparingly in 2022 as a sophomore, is athletic enough to play both sides. But Doherty said he’s trying to be a little careful with Guzman.
“It would have been nice to get him outta there sooner, but we actually had to use him more. Our secondary right now is good when they wanna be, but they’re playing scared, I think. Playing back on their haunches and not going in and attacking the football,” Doherty said.
“We changed things up and put Marcus in there. That’s not ideal, but after the game, that was the first thing he said, ‘I’m playing defense next week'.
"Marcus is always in the back pocket in our game plan just because he’s one heck of an athlete and he’s important to this football game."
Fort Madison started the scoring early in the first quarter when Hayden Segoviano slipped through the interior of the Panther’s' defense from 11 yards out. The senior was having the best night of his career culminating with a 60-yard run in the final 10 seconds of the first half. He was dragged down from behind at the Mt. Pleasant 10, and then sat out the entire second half with a strain in his shoulder.
Segoviano finished with 123 yards on just seven carries and two touchdowns in just the one half of play.
Doherty said he could possibly be ready for next week’s key matchup with Washington. A win there gives the Hounds a hope of qualifying with one of four at-large teams in Class 3A.
With Segoviano on the sidelines, Fort Madison’s Tristan Marshall filled in in the backfield. He got his first five carries of the year and scored on a 1-yard plunge for a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
The rest of the touchdowns came on runs from Guzman, with the exception of a pick six by Justin Maitner. Maitner jumped a route on the right side of the defense and shook a tackle down the Panther sideline for a 21-yard score and a 48-14 lead.
“I knew with the coverage I was in, I had the outside receiver. After I went into my drop, I saw what was happening and jumped the route, got the pick, broke a tackle, and got the pick six,” Maitner said.
Doherty said those are the types of plays that the Hounds need to get sparks in games. He said the coaching staff had to jump on the Bloodhounds at the half to get them re-engaged in the game.
“We challenged them at halftime. We were pretty upset with them and they were upset with themselves, too. They were trying to be too cute and do too much and not just buckle down and get the job done,” he said.
“It was nothing schematic. It was 100% effort, attitude and toughness, and finishing a job and they responded well, so we’re proud of that. But we’re better than what we showed tonight.”
He said Mt. Pleasant played hard but he wasn’t surprised by that.
“That’s in their DNA. Football is important here in Mt. Pleasant. Even when they’re not having the success they are used to, those kids are going to fight.”
Doherty said the Hounds could get Segoviano, who also leads Fort Madison in tackles from his linebacker spot, back for next week’s clash with the Demons.
Leif Boeding led Fort Madison in receiving with 70 yards on six catches. Marshall led Fort Madison in tackles with 4.5, three of which were sacks.
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