By Nick McClintock

CHAMPAIGN – The Chiefs of Deer Creek-Mackinaw have waited 29 years, but a new piece of football hardware is coming back to their trophy case. Dee-Mack used both the run and pass to surge past Maroa-Forsyth, 35-7, Friday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.

The game started the way most have this season for the Chiefs, with running back Jared Reece bulldozing defenders down the field en route to a seven yard TD run. Reece looked unstoppable for Dee-Mack in the first quarter, as they outgained the Trojans 108-3 in the first frame.

Early in the second quarter, it was the arm of Senior Quarterback Derek Baker, as he found tight end Alex Kerner for the score to make it 14-0 and seemingly put Maroa-Forsyth into panic mode. The Trojans were able to respond to that score on the help of a big play to make it 14-7 with around nine minutes to play in the first half.

Things would get a little sloppy on both offenses, as turnovers for both quarterbacks ended potential scoring drives, and the score would hold at 14-7 going into halftime.

The third quarter was again started by turnover by Dee-Mack, but the defense strengthened and turned away the Trojans with relative ease.

On the next offensive possession, the Chiefs put themselves back into the driver’s seat, after Baker found Kerner for a long pass to put them deep into Maroa-Forsyth territory. Dee-Mack then turned back to their workhorse Jared Reece, who went into the endzone with 2:49 left to make the score 21-7. On the ensuing drive, it was the Dee-Mack defense to flex its muscle, as they turned away the Trojans on the Dee-Mack four yard line on fourth down.

Reece would go in for one more score with about five minutes to go, and Kerner would put the icing on the cake with a 34-yard receiving touchdown.

Reece finished the contest with 139 yards and three scores, as Dee Mack finishes 2016 with a 13-1 record.