Kahoks Fall To Mascoutah In Conference Semifinal Game

By Mark Jurgena

Kevin Brown, Chase Hanson, and Aidan Jones. Those three have equaled nightmares for Collinsville football during the 2021 spring football season.

During Mascoutah’s 42-21 win over the Kahoks on April 18th, they combined for six touchdowns in their Mississippi Valley Conference Bowl Series semifinal rematch.

On March 26th they had combined for three touchdowns during a 26-12 Indian victory also at Collinsville.

Mascoutah advances to the championship game of the series tomorrow night at home against Triad. The two squads met on April 4th in Troy with Triad winning 6-0.

Last Friday, it was all MHS from the start as Jones ripped off a 75-yard punt return after the Mascoutah defense had forced a three-and-out on the opening series.

While the return was nullified by a penalty, Mascoutah found the end zone five plays later as Hanson plunged over the right side for a two-yard score. After the Ethan Dee extra point, it was 7-0 Indians at the 9:20 mark of the 1st quarter.

Later in the quarter, Collinsville was forced to punt and Jones seized another opportunity.

Collinsville punter Ethan Bagwell avoided kicking to Jones and the Kahoks were after the rolling punt. Jones decided to go get the ball right in front of a CHS cover man. Jones broke a tackle, reversed field, broke another tackle, and streaked down the right side for a touchdown. After the Dee extra point, Mascoutah had a 14-0 lead with 1:52 to play in the 1st quarter.

Mascoutah again got good field position on another punt return by Jones out to the Collinsville 48-yard line. Five plays later, Brown scored from one yard out and after the Dee kick, it was 21-0 MHS with 11:03 to go in the half.

The Kahoks then put together a six-play drive which culminated in a 32-yard TD pass from Kolby Anderson to Tray Swygeart and with the Andrew Chi kick it was 21-7 MHS with 8:11 to play in the half. Jaydon Nabors carried the load for CHS during the drive with 10 rushing yards on three carries.

However, the Indians came right back with a 60-yard drive punctuated by a one-yard TD by Brown. The extra point by Dee made it 28-7 Indians.

Collinsville was again forced to punt and on that drive, Hanson found Jones for a 65-yard touchdown pass to make it 35-7 at the half.

With the score out of hand, both offenses struggled to get on track to begin the 2nd half. However, Collinsville’s drive ended with an interception by Mascoutah’s Tristian Patrick.

The Indians immediately went on the offensive.

On 3rd-and-5 from their own 45-yard line, Brown went off left tackle for 20 yards down to the Kahok 35-yard line. After an 11-yard scamper from Hanson, the MHS QB found Jones in the end zone for a 29-yard TD on a post route. The Dee kick increased the lead to 42-7.

Collinsville then went to work on their own scoring drives to end the 3rd quarter.

The Kahoks took over near midfield. Nabors got the drive going with a great effort to gain six yards on 1st down then Jerry Richardson went around the left end on the jet sweep for 37 yards and a 1st down.

After a five-yard run by Anderson, who for a time carried four Indian defenders with him, CHS was called for a holding penalty.

Anderson found Kyle Kershaw and Swygeart for a pair of receptions to bring about 3rd-and-5 on the M15. Richardson got the call and rambled seven yards down to the eight to give Collinsville 1st and goal.

CHS found paydirt when a scrambling Anderson found H back Chris Garcia-Cloud wide open near the line of scrimmage. Garcia-Cloud turned and bulldozed his way through three Mascoutah defenders at the goal line for the score. Richardson got the call on the two-point conversion to make it a 42-15 game with 2:32 left in the 3rd quarter.

Shortly after, Collinsville recovered a Mascoutah fumble and the Kahok offense returned to the field.

A deep shot to Swygeart after the turnover fell incomplete to begin the drive then Richardson ripped off a 40-yard run that was called back due to a holding penalty.

CHS decided to take another shot and Bagwell, who was on for Anderson, hit Swygeart for 27 yards down the right side.

Richardson eventually carried the ball across the goal line for a two-yard TD, but the two-point conversion failed to make it 42-15 with :21.8 remaining in the 3rd quarter.

However, neither team could score the rest of the game.