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ROXANA — The Roxana Shells edged out the Freeburg Midgets in a closely contested game, winning 12-10 at Charles Raich Field on Friday night.
The matchup showcased strong defensive performances from both teams, particularly in the second half.
The first quarter saw both defenses dominate, However, Roxana's Luke Hartman broke the deadlock with a touchdown catch from quarterback Sean Maberry, putting the Shells ahead 6-0 after the extra point attempt failed.
Freeburg responded in the second quarter with a field goal, narrowing the gap to 6-3. The momentum shifted dramatically with just over two minutes left in the half when Roxana's Andruw Ellis intercepted a pass from Freeburg’s quarterback.
On the subsequent play, Ellis caught a pass from Maberry and sprinted 93 yards for a touchdown, extending Roxana's lead to 12-3 after another unsuccessful extra point attempt.
The third quarter was marked by a stalemate, as both defenses continued to hold strong, preventing any scoring. Freeburg finally found the end zone in the fourth quarter with a rushing touchdown by Joe Carmack, closing the gap to 12-10.
"The defense played tonight. I said after week one some of these games will be 55-48 and other ones will be 12-10 but the defense stepped up," Roxana Coach Wade DeVries said.
"Maberry executed the one throw we needed for the homerun and then he came out and was able to grind the clock."
With time running down, Roxana managed to regain possession and successfully run out the clock, securing the victory.
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