PUNXSUTAWNEY — Playing before a reduced home crowd for the first time amid COVID-19 restrictions, the Punxsy Chucks football team did a lot of things right on Friday night while hosting the Moniteau Warriors at Jack LaMarca Stadium. Punxsy moved the ball effectively and made some solid defensive stands, and the Chucks led for nearly 23 minutes of game time. But ultimately, two second-half scores by the Warriors, including one with 7:28 remaining on the game clock, pushed the visitors to a 21-14 victory.
“I think that we’re practicing better, and we’re playing better; we were just one step away tonight,” Punxsy Head Coach Alan Nichol said after the game. “I’m really proud of these guys, as far as what we’ve been through with the situation this year. We’re getting better, and I think we need to look to next week and every day keep getting better.”
Punxsy spread things out on the offensive side of the ball, especially with its air attack, which provided both scores. Quarterback Kam Falgout completed 16 passes on 27 attempts and had a pair of TDs and two interceptions; his top receiver was Zeke Bennett, who hauled in six passes for 63 yards, with Gabe Kengersky catching two for 43 yards and Alex Phillips netting 40 yards on four receptions. Colin Hoover had two receptions for 21 yards and one of the touchdowns, and Justin Miller had two receptions for five yards and the other receiving TD. On the ground, it was a two-man show for the Chucks, with Falgout gaining 68 yards on 15 carries and Bennett adding 66 on 21 rushes.
Defensively, Punxsy’s Brandon Ishman was a force to be reckoned with for the Warriors’ players, and his stat sheet showed it with a sack, a forced fumble and four tackles for loss to his credit. Joshua Miller and Colin Hoover each recovered one fumble and had a tackle for loss for the Chucks as well, and Falgout and Seth Moore each recovered one fumble for the Punxsy defense.
The Chucks will play at DuBois next Friday.