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McNeil Mavericks Power Past The Bastrop Bears With 19 Second Half Points To Win Season Opener

Bastrop (0-1) scored 13 points in the first half and their defense held McNeil to just a single field goal but in the end is was McNeil (1-0) coming out on top as they took the season opener by a score of 22-20.

The McNeil offense struggled in the first half as they looked to find their rhythm and was just never able to do so over the first half of play. Bastrop kept the defensive pressure on with some aggressive play as they kept the Mavericks running game in check early on.

Buddy Nunn got the Bears on the board first when he pulled in a 25 yard pass from Josiah Monroe giving Bastrop a 7-0 lead. Monroe tossed his second touchdown pass of the night in the second quarter when he hooked up with D.J. Gaines on an 11-yard touchdown pass, and after a failed extra point attempt, the Bears held a 13-0 lead.

McNeil was able to move down field on their next possession but their drive sputtered deep in Bastrop territory. They salvaged three points out of the drive when Chase Naylor came on and booted his first field goal of the season through the uprights for a 35-yard field goal to cut the Bastrop lead to 13-3. That is where the score stood as they headed to the locker rooms at the half.

McNeil came out in the second half with some spark in the offense and got their first touchdown of the night when Cooper Lewis raced into the end zone from 15-yards out. The extra point attempt failed leaving the Mavericks down by a score of 13-9.

Lewis struck again later in the quarter when he punched it in from 1-yard out for his second touchdown of the night and the first Maverick lead of the game as the moved out in front 15-13.

The Mavericks continued to build their lead in the fourth quarter as their defense kept the Bear offense in check. Tracy Mitchell got in on the scoring action when he scored on a seven yard run, and with the Chase Naylor extra point the Mavericks lead stood at 22-13.

Bastrop bounced back and put together a scoring drive of their own that was capped by a Monroe 25-yard touchdown reception from Taylor that cut the lead to 22-20 but that was as close as the Bears would get as the Mavericks held on for the win.

Bastrop's Josiah Monroe passed for 197 yards on 12-of-26 passing. He also added 47 yards rushing on eight carries. McNeil rushed for 236 yards on the night with Cooper Lewis rushing for 86 yards on 18 carries and Tracy Mitchell carrying the ball nine times for 80 yards. McNeil only managed 14 yards passing on the night and each team picked up 15 first downs.