Blackcats post fourth shutout win of season

By MATT KING
Daily Journal Sports Writer

PERRYVILLE, Mo. - Saturday afternoon marked Homecoming battle for the Perryville football team, but the visiting Fredericktown sideline did much of the celebrating.

The host Pirates were expected to present the toughest test to date for the unbeaten Blackcats (6-0), but instead were blanked by the Fredericktown defense for the second consecutive year in a 35-0 rout.

Seniors Ryan Sawyer and David Penwell continued their steady production as a rushing tandem for the Blackcats behind another strong performance from the offensive line.

Sawyer reached triple digits on the ground for the sixth straight game, covering 153 yards on 22 carries with three touchdowns. Sawyer also turned a short screen pass from Nathan Wilkerson into an 85-yard touchdown to help Fredericktown build a 21-0 halftime lead.

Penwell rushed 12 times for 81 yards, and tight end Mike Crowell added a pair of receptions on third down to extend drives. Wilkerson finished an efficient 5-of-6 passing for 132 yards and two scores.

Fredericktown forced the lone turnover of the game on the second play from scrimmage. Orrin Hawkins stripped the football while chasing down tailback Kris Cottner, and Joey Lewandowski recovered at the Pirates’ 43.

The Blackcats then carried the momentum throughout the first half, scoring touchdowns on each of their first three drives. Penwell burst through the right side for a 32-yard jaunt, leading to a 7-yard scoring run by Sawyer.

Sawyer netted his second touchdown on a 20-yard scamper with 57 seconds remaining in the opening quarter. Wilkerson scored the two-point conversion on a bootleg to make it 14-0.

Perryville (3-3) put together two sustained drives with the aid of five defensive penalties in the first half, but were stifled each time on fourth down. A 17-play march ended at the Fredericktown 10 when Hawkins sacked quarterback Josh Perreault.

A holding penalty prevented a long run by Sawyer on the ensuing snap, but Perryville failed to cover him moments later on a throw-back screen, and a key block from tackle Rodney Stewart opened the left sideline for a 85-yard strike.

A short punt in the third quarter allowed Fredericktown to begin its next scoring drive at the Perryville 24. Penwell absorbed a hard hit and lunged across the goal line an 8-yard pass, increasing the margin to 28-0.

Fredericktown marched 97 yards in 13 plays to punctuate the win, as Sawyer exploded past the secondary on a 41-yard touchdown run with 6:46 left. The Blackcats converted a fourth down at their own 26 to maintain possession.

Cottner was the focal point of the Perryville attack, tallying 104 hard-earned yards on 19 carries. He also landed two punts inside the Fredericktown 5. Waylon Sparkman made seven tackles and batted down a pass on defense.

Perreault completed 8-of-19 passes for 48 yards, and added 31 yards on the ground. Cottner made five receptions for the Pirates.

Junior linebacker Nick Franks compiled a team-high nine tackles for Fredericktown, which hosts Charleston on Friday night.



Fredericktown  14   7   7   7 - 35

Perryville  0   0   0   0 - 0

First Quarter

FRED (6-0) - Sawyer 7-yard run (kick failed), 10:38

FRED (14-0) - Sawyer 20-yard run (Wilkerson run), 0:57

Second Quarter

FRED (21-0) - Sawyer 85-yard pass from Wilkerson (Crowell kick), 3:56

Third Quarter

FRED (28-0) - Penwell 8-yard pass from Wilkerson (Crowell kick), 4:06

Fourth Quarter

FRED (35-0) - Sawyer 41-yard run (Crowell kick), 6:46