The Maroon Devils punched their ticket for a shot at their 9th State Championship in football last friday with a 28-21 win over Monroe. For Swain it is a chance to win back to back titles for only the second time in school history (’88 & ’89, followed by ’90), but it didn’t come easy for the State’s top ranked team.
In almost a mirror image of last year’s Western Regional Championship game the Devils fell behind early as Monroe scored 21 unanswered points in the 2nd quarter. Swain erased the defiicit as quickly as the Redhawks built it, as they scored the next 28 points of the game – still in the 2nd quarter – to take a 28-21 lead into halftime. Swain then stalled a Monroe drive at the 9 yard line when Payton Parker recovered a fumble on a fourth and 1 for the Redhawks, to seal the win for Swain.
After spotting the Redhawks a 21 point lead on uncharacteristic turnovers the Devils got two touchdown passes from quarterback Raymius Smith. Smith first found Greg Tisho for a 49 yard bomb down the home sideline. Next Smith found Matthew Maennle on a short bubble screen, Maennle turned a Tisho block into a touchdown to bring the Devils back to 21-14.
Garrett Lane capped off the Devils next drive with a one yard plunge that tied the game at 21, with just under a minute left before halftime.
Matthew Maennle then delivered the daggar as he picked off a Monroe pass and and raced 22 yards for the go ahead touchdown. Colyn Petty made good on all four extra points on the evening.
Blake Wright was the workhorse on offense as he rushed for a game high 119 yards on 14 carries, as the Devils outrushed Monroe 224 to 81.