Sara Reid

Behind three touchdowns on the ground from fullback Colin Vinson, the McKenzie Middle School Rebels shut out the Greenfield Junior High Yellowjackets, 30-0, in football action Thursday night on Rebel Field in McKenzie.
The Rebels were first to receive the ball and, starting on their own 27-yard line, they picked up 7 yards on first down from running back Storme Hilliard. The Jacket defense picked up on second down and Christian McAlister took down Hilliard for a 2-yard loss. Vinson ran for 4 yards and a first down on the next play, but gave the ball back to Greenfield on a fumble.
At the 37-yard line, Blake Miller fumbled the ball back to the Rebs. Recovering the pigskin, McKenzie started on the 38-yard line, and quarterback Luke Robertson picked up 23 yards on a keeper. Vinson ran the final 39 yards for the score and tacked on the two-point conversion with 5:56 left in the first quarter to put the home team on the scoreboard, 8-0.
On the Jackets’ next offensive series, McKenzie forced them into a quick three and out, but GJH returned the favor by forcing the Rebs to turn the ball over on downs to end the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Greenfield was forced into another quick three and out and Vinson struck again on a 49-yard romp to the end zone with 5:11 left in the first half. Robertson ran in the conversion and put the Rebels ahead, 16-0.
Greenfield picked up runs of 7 and 3 yards from Quinton Yarbrough on its next drive and Payton Page scrambled ahead for the first down on third-and-short, but the McKenzie defense forced the Jackets into a punting situation.
On the third play of the Rebels’ next offensive series, Vinson again rumbled ahead, this time for 32 yards, for the score with 1:18 left in the half. Robertson’s pass to Matt Eaton was on target for the conversion and the Rebels led, 24-0.
The Greenfield defense picked up in the second half of play, forcing the home team into a turnover on downs on their first offensive drive of the third quarter. However, the Rebels picked up another score in the waning seconds of the game when running back Bishop Williams ran in a 15-yard score with 55 seconds left in the game to make the final score 30-0 in favor of McKenzie.
Greenfield will next host the Sharon Eagles at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday night.