MEADOW BRIDGE — Larry McClintic makes no apologies.

If he’s got a workhorse, he’s going to work him.

In the Meadow Bridge Wildcats’ case so far this season, it’s been junior tailback Jake Parker.

Parker rushed 41 times for 284 yards and four scores Friday as the Wildcats posted a 38-6 whipping of the Midland Trail Patriots at Frank Arritt Stadium.

“Our philosophy is to win a football game,” said McClintic, the veteran Meadow Bridge coach. “If Jake Parker up the middle is getting it done, we’re going to do it.

“It’s hard on Jennings Berry, Ryan Church and some of those guys to block all night long, but it’s just our offense.”

Parker shredded the Trail defense for 153 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, which ended with Meadow Bridge leading 22-6. The ‘Cats’ opening drive of the second half was highly indicative of the Meadow Bridge offensive philosophy. After Trail’s Jake Grimmett boomed a 59-yard punt which pinned Meadow Bridge at its own 11, Parker took over. Literally.

With the Wildcats calling his number for all 15 plays of the possession, he responded with six first-down runs and advanced the ball the remaining 89 yards, capping the drive with a 6-yard touchdown plunge that pushed the score to 28-6.

“I was tired, but I had to keep rolling,” Parker said. “(The credit) all goes to my offensive line.”

On the heels of a 32-26 defeat of Fayetteville last week, Midland Trail turned the ball over four times, and Meadow Bridge used two of the takeaways — a Kaleb Farr fumble recovery and a Parker interception — to eventually score six points on the other end and pad the lead.

“Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes,” said Midland Trail coach Joe Dean. “They’re a good football team and know where they’re going.

“If you give them the ball, they’ll take it to you.”

“(Getting those turnovers) got our confidence pretty high,” Parker said of Meadow Bridge, which turned the ball over on downs twice in the early going in Midland Trail territory before getting the offense cranked up.

With the exception of a 47-yard touchdown pass from Grimmett to Ethan Barker at the end of the first half, the Patriots never had much to crow about offensively. Grimmett, who rushed for 197 yards against Fayetteville, managed just 40 against the Wildcats.

“We just didn’t do anything offensively,” Dean said. “Credit their defense. They were making stops. They got in our backfield all night long.

“Meadow Bridge did what they had to do, but we’ve got to get better.”

“Overall, it was a good effort,” McClintic said.

Freshman Shane Harless led the MB defense with 11 tackles, and he added 68 rushing yards and a 4-yard score in the fourth quarter.

Meadow Bridge (3-0) plays at Fayetteville Friday. “We’re looking forward to Fayetteville,” said Parker, who has amassed 762 rushing yards and 10 scores in three games.

Midland Trail (1-2) entertains Richwood Friday.

— E-mail: skeenan@register-herald.com



Meadow Bridge 38, Midland Trail 6

MT (1-2)    0    6    0    0    —    6

MB (3-0)    8        14    8    8    —    38

First Quarter

MB: Jake Parker 7 run (Kaleb Farr pass from Cole Porter), 1:21.



Second Quarter

MB: Parker 1 run (Porter run) 6:30.

MB: Parker 7 run (pass failed) 3:58.

MT: Ethan Barker 47 pass from Jake Grimmett (pass failed) 0:18.6.



Third Quarter

MB: Parker 6 run (Shane Harless run) 3:06.



Fourth Quarter

MB: Harless 4 run (Harless run) 8:44.



INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — MT: Grimmett 9-40, Barker 1-0, Garrett Coleman 5-2, Devon Steele 2-(-7), Ryan Wilson 1-(-1). MB: Parker 41-284-4, Dave Gainer 7-14, Jennings Berry 4-9, Ryan Church 4-2, Porter 2-10, Harless 9-68-1, Abner Gelcinger 3-17, Team 1-(-2).

PASSING — MT: Glenn Neal 0-4-2-0-0, Grimmett 2-9-1-51-1, Wilson 0-1-0-0-0. MB: Porter 0-0-0.

RECEIVING — MT: Barker 1-47-1, Steele 1-4. MB: NA.

TURNOVERS — MT: Wilson (FR), Austin Burdette (FR). MB: Farr (FR), Parker (INT), Church (INT), Porter (INT).