ALTON – The Civic Memorial Eagles and the Marquette Explorers football game was pushed back an hour due to the heat. At kickoff, the temperature read 96 degrees. When the clock hit zero the Eagles came out on top with a 42-16 win to start the season.
Marquette struck first when kicker Joe Stephan kicked a field goal to make it 3-0 but the Eagles responded when Jacob Flowers had a big 34-yard run for a touchdown 7-3 after the extra point was good.
In the second quarter, Marquette took back the lead when Jack Rae found Duarell Blocker for a 13-yard pass with 11:01 left. After the extra point was good Marquette led 10-7.
With 10:43 left in the second quarter, Marquette kicked off to Christian Garrett who then ran the ball for an 85-yard touchdown run and the extra point was good making it 14-10.
CM extended the lead when Parker Parnell had an 8-yard run making it 21-10. They went into halftime leading 21-10.
In the second half, the heat started giving the players trouble and several kids on both sides were battling cramps.
Civic Memorial received the ball after halftime and marched down the field and Jacob Flowers punched in his second touchdown of the night when he had a 9-yard run making it 28-10.
They extended their lead when Garrett caught a 41-yard pass for a touchdown with 2:35 left in the third quarter. The extra point was no good and the score was 34-10.
In the fourth quarter, CM came out and had a 20-yard pass to Christian Garrett for his third touchdown of the night. CM went for two points and it was good making it 42-10.
Marquette Alex McCloud finished the game with a 16-yard run to make it the final 42-16.
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