Football Recap: Maroa-Forsyth Piles Up the Points Against Pleasant Plains

vs

Previous Games

09/05/25 - Home	68-21 W
09/06/24 - Away	56-7 W
08/25/23 - Home	63-14 W
08/26/22 - Away	61-12 W
10/01/21 - Away	61-7 W
+ 5 more games

Maroa-Forsyth won the last time they faced Pleasant Plains and things went their way on Friday too. The Trojans simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Cardinals 68-21. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Trojans' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois football rankings (they are ranked 39th, while the Cardinals are ranked 341st).

A big part of Maroa-Forsyth's win came down to the chemistry between Ryne Sheppard and his top target Zach Smith. Sheppard threw for 448 yards and seven touchdowns while completing 76.5% of his passes while Smith picked up 289 receiving yards and four TDs. What's more, Sheppard racked up 157.5 passer rating, the most he's had since back in October of 2024. Troy Pulliam did his part for the team as well, scoring a TD off of 45 receiving yards.

Maroa-Forsyth's run defense was locked in: Pleasant Plains could only muster 2.7 yards per carry. While three picked up at least seven total tackles, Pulliam stood above the rest. He picked up 45 receiving yards and a pair of scores. Maroa-Forsyth didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 6.3.

Special teams was a major factor in the game for Maroa-Forsyth, racking up 14 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Deangelo Owen, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.

Pleasant Plains' loss came despite a true team effort from the offense with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Grady Grisham, who picked up 148 receiving yards and a pair of TDs. Nolan Scott also helped out with an impressive 97 receiving yards.

Maroa-Forsyth has started the season off flawlessly and has a 2-0 record to show for it. The victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 58.0 points this season. As for Pleasant Plains, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-1.

We've got plenty of inter-conference action coming up soon. Maroa-Forsyth is set to take on their familiar foe Auburn at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Meanwhile, Pleasant Plains will challenge rival Athens at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.