Meigs defeats Gallia in season opener

The “Battle of the Border” was a one sided contest. Meigs opened their season with a huge win on the road. Gallia Academy struggled early but, managed to get on the board late.

The first half was controlled by Meigs. The Marauders went 60 yards for a touchdown in their opening drive. The Blue Devils came back with a strong drive that brought them close to the end zone. However, this would reslut in an interception at the hands of Cory Cox. The resulting drive would end in a 25 yard pass from Cody Bartrum to Bailey Caruthers. With 8:16 left in the second quarter, Christian Mattox scored off a 34 yard pass by Cody Bartrum to bring the score to 20 – 0. The Blue Devils would be stopped again when Matthew Brown intercepted the ball on the 10 yard line. The Marauders continued to score as Zach Bartrum caught a 60 yard pass from quarterback Cody Bartrum. Lane Cullums would bring the score to 28 – 0 after a two point conversion. A Blue Devil fumble would eventually result in another score for Meigs as Zach Bartrum would score again. Layne Acree added the extra point for a first half score of 35 – 0. With a commanding lead going into the second half, the Marauders had already improved from last years score of 26 – 12.

The second half saw an interception by Marauder T.J. Williams. The Blue Devils got on the board after 5 plays for 58 yards as Clay Plymale brought the score to a final of 42 – 7. Cody Bartrum had 253 passing yards and 4 touchdowns. The Blue Devils had 35 rushing yards.

The “Battle of the Border” was a strong season opening win for the Marauders. Meigs improved offensively from last years game by 16 points and allowing 5 points fewer. Additionally, this was a historic win for Meigs as it had been 39 years since the Marauders had won at Gallia Academy. The Marauders hope to continue their winning next week as they host Amanda. The Blue Devils will try to turn their luck around facing River Valley at home.