The Montgomery County Wildcat defense held strong for three quarters, pitching a shutout before the St. Pius Lancers finally broke through to claim a hard-fought 14–0 victory in Festus in the Class 2 State Quarterfinal.
Montgomery County’s defense set the tone early, forcing three punts, recovering a fumble on a mishandled punt snap, and producing a turnover on downs, all in the first half, to keep the Lancers off the scoreboard.
However, missed opportunities ultimately came back to haunt the Wildcats. Montgomery County turned the ball over on downs twice in Lancer territory, and quarterback Adrian Comb was intercepted three times—including a costly pick in the red zone during the second half.
After a blocked punt, St. Pius running back Brody Ervin broke the scoreless tie in the fourth quarter with a 30-yard touchdown run, though Montgomery County answered by blocking the extra point.
On the ensuing drive, a deflected pass at the Wildcats’ 21-yard line led to Comb’s third interception of the game, setting up a 21-yard touchdown run by Cody Shaver.
Shaver would run in the two-point conversion for the final score of the game. After going 3-7 a year ago, the Wildcats finished the season with a 9-3 record.
Postgame Interview with Montgomery County Coach Matt Smith:
