Owls can't stop Grain Valley

The strong arm of senior Lucas Hart (14) almost brought the Owls all the way back from a 10-point deficit with three minutes left.
(Chris Allen/Democrat-News)

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Grain Valley scored on six of seven possessions, converted all five third-down attempts and never faced a fourth down during a 38-35 non-conference win over the visiting Owls.

Marshall surrendered 430 yards on defense, with three Eagles running for over 100 yards.

Only four times was Grain Valley tackled for losses, twice due to unforced fumbles.

Yet, the Owls were in the game until the final play as senior Lucas Hart threw for a career-high 160 yards and two touchdowns.

Down by 10 points with three minutes remaining, Hart connected with senior Evan Johnson for 39 yards and senior Chase Kempf for another 12 to set up senior Matt Jacobs' 3-yard TD plunge with 22 seconds left.

Junior Tanner Dillon recovered sophomore Aaron Skinner's on-side kick at the Eagles' 42-yard line and Hart fired three passes which may have been in range for a game-tying field goal by Skinner --a flawless five-for-five on extra-point attempts -- had junior DeAndre Davis not leapt to swat down two passes and junior Joey Lierman broken up another.

The game ended anticlimactically when Hart tripped while dropping back on the fourth down try at the horn. It began with a thrill when senior Matt Buford returned the opening kickoff, which Grain Valley had mistakenly selected to do, 84 yards for a touchdown.

The Eagles went 77 yards on seven plays, the last senior Trace Goade's 32-yard rumble, on its first series and 53 yards on seven plays on its second -- senior DeMarco Davis ripping off a 36-yard run and senior Austin Gouldsmith sneaking in from a yard out.

Two plays later, Hart struck for his first scoring strike, 64 yards as junior Ryan Smith split the zone over the middle on a post pattern.

Senior Kevin Benton came up with an interception and the Owls moved to the Grain Valley 17, Buford gaining 22 yards on a reverse, before a pair of holding penalties ruined the drive.

The Eagles answered with a 13-play, 77-yard series, Davis taking the ball in from the 3, for a 19-14 lead it would take into halftime.

As it did the previous week at Chillicothe, Marshall came out of the break with a sustained drive, 63 yards on 11 plays, mostly on the legs of Jacobs -- who punched it in with a 5-yard run on fourth down.

Gouldsmith ran for 20 yards and found sophomore Ryan Nace for 16 to reach the Owls' 3, from where Goade carried it in. After Marshall went three-and-out, Davis broke loose for a 54-yard touchdown sprint for a 10-point lead heading into the final frame.

But the Owls weren't done. Hart hooked up twice with Buford, for 24 yards on a third-down toss in Grain Valley territory and 24 yards to score.

There was still 7:25 to go, and the Eagles faced third down and 15 from their own 12-yard line, when Gouldsmith dumped off to Davis for a 26-yard gain.

Gouldsmith followed with back-to-back 16-yard runs, a personal foul set Grain Valley (2-0) up at the 11 and Gouldsmith finished the series by scoring from 3 yards out with 3:00 left.

Hart led Marshall's comeback bid, but his promising performance wasn't enough -- and may seldom be if the defense proves unable to keep opponents from scoring at will.

Jacobs had 41 carries for 196 yards and Kempf made 10 tackles for the Owls (0-2), hoping they can stop 10th-ranked Smith-Cotton's high-octane offense Friday in their home opener.