Maryville claims Class 3 title with 35-22 win

The 'Title Town' moniker has been at least partially restored in Maryville this year.

After back-to-back second round exits, the Spoofhounds are state champions once again.

Maryville finished off a perfect first season under head coach Matt Webb with a 35-22 win over John Burroughs in the Class 3 State Championship Game Friday at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.

The state title is Maryville's first in Class 3 since 1982, second in the last four years and third all-time.

Ranked No. 1 in Class 3 all season, John Burroughs (13-1) suffered its third consecutive championship game loss.

It came despite getting 419 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns from running back Ezekiel Elliott, the state's top recruit who's committed to Ohio State.

Maryville (15-0) never trailed in the game and went up as many as 18 points in the third quarter. A pair of Elliott touchdowns pulled Burroughs within six late in third quarter, but the Hounds stopped a potential go-ahead scoring drive in the fourth and put the game away with an 11-play, 75-yard scoring march that ate up all but 37 seconds of the remaining time.

Quarterback Jonathan Baker provided the exclamation point with a 35-yard touchdown run, setting off an enormous roar from the Hound faithful on hand.

At that point, the title was in the bag.

In a vintage offensive performance, Maryville ran the ball 69 times in the game for a season-high 436 yards.

Sophomore running Brody McMahon exploded for 213 yards and two touchdowns, outdone in the game only by Elliott.

Senior back Derek Stiens picked up 96 yards and scored two touchdowns. Baker totaled 93 yards on the ground, exceeding his passing total of 57 yards on just nine attempts.

Maryville's 35 points were the most scored against Burroughs all season.

It was the team's 14th time surpassing the 30-point barrier.

Burroughs game total of 22 points was the second-most scored against Maryville all year, but marked a season-low on their end.

The Bombers had only one extended touchdown drive in the game.

Two others that entered Maryville territory with the deficit at one score yielded zero points.

Elliott scored all three of the team's touchdowns, including two of 75 yards or longer.

He ran for 218 yards and two scores, caught five passes for 72 yards and returned a kick-off 84 yards for a touchdown. His opening carry resulted in a 79-yard touchdown run, setting the tone for a monster day .

Quarterback Nick Duncan threw for 150 yards and added 50 on the ground.

Production was minimal beyond that.

For the first time all season, the Bombers were forced to play catch-up all day.

Maryville scored the game's opening touchdown on a 4-yard run by Stiens with 8:01 left in the first quarter. This completed a 12-play, 87-yard drive that included only one passing attempt.

Burroughs answered right away with Elliott's 79-yard touchdown run on their first offensive play to tie the game at 7.

The Hounds retaliated with a big play of their own from McMahon, a 65-yard touchdown run to go ahead 14-7.

The trading of scores stopped on the next possession when Maryville came up with a huge goal line stand, stuffing Elliott on fourth and two from the two.

Elliott fumbled on first and goal from the one, resulting in a 7-yard loss.

After stopping Maryville on three straight drives, the Bombers cut it to 14-10 on a 26-yard field goal by Rushil Sheth with 28 seconds left in the first half.

Prepared to go to the half down just four, the Bombers instead encountered a double-digit deficit.

McMahon returned the next kick-off to the 41 and then went 59 yards untouched on a first down rushing play to make it 21-10 with 12 seconds left in te half.

This stood as the halftime score.

The Hounds extended their lead to 28-10 with 5:27 left in the third on a 1-yard run by Stiens. The drive took 14 plays to cover 59 yards and ate up 4:58.

The game's biggest lead diminshed quickly.

Elliott returned the ensuing kick-off 84 yards for a touchdown, pulling the Bombers back to a 28-16 deficit.

He scored again from a yard out with 12 seconds left in the third, capping a 10-play 89-yard drive.

A second missed extra point kept Maryville's lead at 28-22.

Maryville was driving to go back up two scores when Stiens lost a fumble for the first time all year, and the Bombers recovered at their own 29 with nine minutes left.

A 21-yard run by Elliott and a 14-yard run by Duncan moved the Bombers down to Maryville's 29-yard line.

The next three plays netted just four yards, bringing up a fourth and six.

Duncan tried to hit wideout Foyesade Oluo on a corner route, but the pass was broken up by Tyler Kenkel, giving the Hounds the ball back.

By the time Burroughs' offense hit the field again, the game and the championship was firmly in Maryville's grasp.