TRINITY – The Holly Pond Broncos traveled to take on the West Morgan Rebels Thursday night in the first round of the 2017 AHSAA 3A state playoffs. The Broncos played tough all night, but the Rebels looked impressive, dominating the game and getting a 35-0 shutout.
The Broncos got the ball to start the game, but after picking up several first downs, ended up having to punt the ball away.
The Rebels got ahold of the football, and it wasn’t long before Gabe Peluso found Maurice Gray for a 62-yard touchdown to put the Rebels up 7-0, after the PAT, with 7:11 left in the opening quarter. The Rebels quickly got the ball back when Isaac Huguley intercepted a Bronco pass. West Morgan marched down the field, chewing up most of the rest of the quarter, but with 37 seconds left, Peluso took in in from 1 yard out to extend the Rebels’ lead to 14-0 after the extra point.
Early in the second quarter Peluso went 56 yards, scoring again, putting the Rebels up, after the PAT, 21-0. Later in the second, the Rebels had a chance to tack on a field goal, but Holly Pond blocked the attempt to keep the score at 21-0 at halftime.
Fresh out of the locker room, the Broncos forced a fumble to get the ball back, but another interception, this time by Samuel Thorne, gave it back to the Rebels. On the ensuing play Peluso scored from 31 yards out to put the Rebels up 28-0 after the extra point, with 8:33 remaining in the third. The Rebels added another touchdown, with 3:02 remaining in the quarter, when Thorne scored on a 1-yard plunge.
The last quarter was a battle of defenses, and neither offense got anything going. It was a grind to the end, with the Rebels conserving the shutout, 35-7.
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