Marengo ran for 229 yards, but gave up none

MARENGO – Marengo coach Matt Lynch wasn’t interested to hear how his team didn’t allow a single rushing yard in Friday night’s 45-14 Big Northern Conference crossover win over Rock Falls.

Or how his defense forced nine turnovers and made the Rockets one-dimensional after jumping out to a 28-0 lead in the first quarter.

“All I care about is the score at the end of the game,” Lynch said. “All that other stuff doesn't matter.”

The 31-point victory on Friday gave the Indians their first 2-0 start since 2009. That season, Marengo was held winless after its first two games and finished with a 2-7 record.    Lynch is aware of the history and won't let a 2-0 start distract his players from the season-long goal.

“We made some mistakes, “Lynch said. We've got some cleaning up to do. But what we're proud of is how the kids held their composure and how they bounced back. When something went wrong, they stayed in the moment and executed.”

The Indians won the battle of field position in a big way, running for 229 yards on 46 carries. Jarrell Jackson (10 carries for 82 yards) led the way with three touchdowns, while Brandon Temple and Ethan Walsweer each had one score.

Junior quarterback Kurt McMackin got in on the fun in the second half in relief of Walsweer, rushing 21 times for 78 yards.

The Indians are on the road in Week 3 and face BNC East rival Genoa-Kingston.