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Hess, John Marshall rumble past Patriots

Parkersburg South’s Nick Yoho tries to dance out of the attempted tackle from John Marshall’s Charles McCool during the Monarchs’ 40-17 win over the Patriots. Photo by Joe Albright.

PARKERSBURG — Hess, Hess, Hess and Hess.

If that got redundant, think how Parkersburg South head football coach Mike Eddy felt watching John Marshall back Dereck Hess run for four touchdowns in the first half alone en route to the visiting Monarchs’ 40-17 win over the Patriots Friday night at the Erickson All-Sports Facility.

Hess had a game in the first half most would have in a whole game, with a 97-yard kickoff return TD, a pair of long 65 and 55-yard scoring scampers, and a short four-yard burst into the end zone while piling up 173 total yards on the ground.

The loss dropped South to 1-4 on the season, while John Marshall improved to 2-2. The Patriots stay home next week for their homecoming game versus Point Pleasant at 7 p.m. Friday.

Things started off badly for South right from the start against the Monarchs by fumbling on the opening kickoff, and John Marshall recovering at the 50. Four plays later, Hess went the final four stripes to paydirt and it was 6-0 just 1:40 into the game.

But the Patriots came right back with a short three-play drive to go ahead 7-6.

After a Tyee Gibson kickoff return to the JM 32, two plays later, Nick Yoho burst out and went 26 yards for a TD and Ahmed Ali’s PAT gave South its lone lead of the night at 9:07 of the opening period

It didn’t last long, though, as Hess gathered in the ensuing kickoff and sped 97 yards for his second touchdown followed by a conversion pass to lift the Monarchs on top 14-7 at 8:49, still not even at the halfway mark of the first quarter.

Nearing the end of the second stanza, however, Hess tacked on two more TDs, with his 55-yard gallop at 2:27 and then his 65-yard race to score with only 34.4 seconds to go to give John Marshall a commanding 28-7 advantage at halftime.

South began the second half by driving downfield to the Monarch 13, but were thwarted by a Justin Fronapfel interception at the goal line at 8:02 that stopped the Patriot threat.

But South’s Jon Kinnard picked off a pass, although the Pats had to punt and the boot sailed 57 yards to the JM 1 at 6:27 of the third. It turned out to be helpful for South as intentional grounding was called against Monarch QB Jordan Wood in the end zone at 5:37 for a safety, making the score 28-9 after three quarters.

In the fourth, JM’s Nick Coulter had a four-yard TD spurt at 9:00 to up the lead to 34-9 and Bailey Williams banged three yards for six points at 4:03 for a 40-9 lead before South’s Jacob Anthony went two yards for a score at 2:05 and the final tally of the night.

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