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Blog LIVE Game Blog: Maury 20, Wise (MD) 14 - FINAL

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Tell you what, the Wise defense made it difficult with Tyvon Callaway, Taylor Brown (who had a tackle for loss) and company not budging one bit against the run. So what does Maury do?

They go to the sprint out on 4th & Goal from the 2, giving QB Au'Tori Newkirk more room to operate out of the gun and hit the talented speedster LeBron Bond on the near side for a TD. Flawless execution.

Blog LIVE Game Blog: Maury 20, Wise (MD) 14 - FINAL

The tempo is picking up for Maury as it's Au'Tori Newkirk finding Damon McDaniel Jr. on a solid 8-yard completion. On 2nd & 2, Newkirk does a splendid job of keeping it on the option read, where the defense bits down on the back - Leon 'Fatman' Clark. As a result, Newkirk gains 11 to move the chains.

Tyvon Callaway - who has 6 total tackles by my count so far (5 solo) - and DeCarlos Young do a nice job of keeping Newkirk short of the first down on 3rd & 5. On 4th & 1 from the Wise 20, Maury leaves the offense on the field, but makes a QB switch with Kendall Daniels in there instead of Newkirk, presumably for more wiggle / size to try to plow forward. But before it can happen, Wise gets called for encroachment.

Oh my!

Blog LIVE Game Blog: Maury 20, Wise (MD) 14 - FINAL

Eric Wedge, the junior QB for Wise, scrambles for just enough yards on 2nd & 8 to move the sticks. However, the Wise offense has been very basic / vanilla from my perspective. They could be a bit more aggressive and try to attack these corners down the field, especially considering they've drawn a couple of pass interference penalties. Of course, the blocking up front has to be there and right now it has been just so-so for the visitors from Maryland.

Furthermore, the body language is not that great looking for Wise as things have changed dramatically for them since that pitch out that was fumbled by Kamron Parker.

The Maury defense forces a punt on 4th & 4 from the 26 with 10:10 to go in the half. It goes out of bounds and the Commodores have it at the Wise 48 with 10:00 exactly on the clock.

Is this where Dyrri McCain takes a big shot down the field?

Blog LIVE Game Blog: Maury 20, Wise (MD) 14 - FINAL

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Beautiful job by the Maury offense, designed by Coach Dyrri McCain, to get Au'Tori Newkirk on a rollout and finding their most explosive weapon, LeBron Bond, in space where even this alert Wise defense couldn't keep pace with him.

The PAT is no good / blocked.

A holding penalty on the return by Wise backs them up to their own 10 with 11:40 to go in the half. Before that, though, it was junior LB Isaiah 'Ike' Simmons absolutely laying out the return man with a vicious hit.

Blog LIVE Game Blog: Maury 20, Wise (MD) 14 - FINAL

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Those receptions by both Kendall Daniels and Damon McDaniel Jr. were much-needed. Right before the end of the first quarter, Daniels nearly caught a TD in the back of the end zone from QB Au'Tori Newkirk as he laid out and just couldn't grab on the diving attempt.

Nice opening period for Newkirk to go 9 of 11 for 66 yards without any turnovers while he saw some pressure in his face.

Blog LIVE Game Blog: Maury 20, Wise (MD) 14 - FINAL

Maury is shooting itself in the foot with careless penalties, including a targeting when it looked like the Commodores were getting off the field on 3rd & 11 when Kendall Daniels made a big hit on DeCarlos Young on a pass in the flat area.

An offsides penalty as well as a pass interference penalty, with a run of 8 by Young mixed in, have the Pumas now on track offensively. They're at the Commodores 41-yard line.
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