ROXANA, Ill. — The Roxana Shells opened the IHSA football playoffs in dominant fashion Saturday, rolling past Massac County 60-23 to advance to the next round.
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Roxana's offense came out firing in the first quarter, putting up 18 points while holding Massac County to seven. The Shells added 13 points in the second quarter to take a 33-15 lead into halftime.
The scoring continued after the break, as Roxana added 14 points in the third quarter before putting up 15 more in the final period to secure the 60-23 victory.
Mekhi Shorter and Nick Miles helped lead the Shells' rushing attack, while quarterback Cohen Dugan connected with Logan Cox and Jordan Roach for touchdown passes.
Shorter opened the scoring with a 63-yard touchdown run with 11:14 remaining in the first quarter. Miles followed with a 53-yard scoring run at the 8:49 mark to give Roxana an early advantage.
Massac County answered with a 1-yard touchdown run by Dee Carruthers, but the Shells responded late in the opening quarter when Dugan connected with Cox on a 9-yard touchdown pass to extend their lead.
Shorter added another touchdown in the second quarter, breaking into the end zone on a 10-yard run with 8:47 remaining. Massac County found the end zone again, but Roxana answered with a 1-yard touchdown run by Aiden Stemm to maintain control of the game.
The Shells carried a 33-15 advantage into halftime.
Massac County opened the third quarter with a 50-yard touchdown run by Carruthers, but Roxana quickly responded through the air.
Dugan connected with Stemm on a 7-yard touchdown pass for Stemm's second score of the day. Dugan then found Roach for a 39-yard touchdown, extending the Shells' advantage to 49-23 heading into the fourth quarter.
Roxana continued to add to its lead in the final period with two more rushing touchdowns. Shorter scored on an 11-yard run, while Stemm added a 2-yard touchdown run to help put the game away.
With the 60-23 victory, Roxana advances to the next round of the IHSA football playoffs and will face Hillsboro next weekend.
