MT. ZION, Ill. – The Mt. Zion Braves took advantage of costly Taylorville mistakes Monday night, defeating the Tornadoes 26-7 to finish their season undefeated and extend their winning streak to 17 games over the past three seasons.
Mt. Zion struck early when quarterback Breck Fink connected with Connor Crafton for a touchdown pass. The Braves converted the two-point attempt to take an early 8-0 lead.
Taylorville’s next possession ended in disaster when a bad snap on a punt attempt sent the ball into the end zone. Mt. Zion recovered the loose ball for another touchdown, pushing its lead to 14-0. The Braves failed to convert the two-point attempt.
The Tornadoes responded with a big play of their own. Running back Chase Rincker broke loose for a long touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 14-7 and putting Taylorville back in the game.
Rincker finished with more than 100 yards rushing to lead the Tornadoes on the ground, but Taylorville struggled to overcome the mistakes that continued to give the Braves opportunities.
Another costly turnover led to a Mt. Zion touchdown, as the Braves capitalized on a fumble to set up a scoring pass from Fink to Creighton Weigler. The touchdown extended the Mt. Zion lead to 20-7.
The Braves added their final touchdown in the third quarter, with Crafton finding the end zone for his second score of the night. Running back Trey Floyd helped power the Mt. Zion offense down the field, setting up the scoring opportunity.
Taylorville quarterback Chase Vogel turned in a strong performance for the Tornadoes, but the team could not find a way to erase the deficit.
The 26-7 victory allowed Mt. Zion to close out its season without a loss and continue a remarkable run of success at the junior varsity level.
Broadcaster Leroy Kleimola spoke with WR Jack Greene and QB Breck Fink after the game about their chemistry, the camaraderie, and what it’s like to play football for Mt. Zion.
The game was broadcast live on 106.3 The Game.
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