McMurry rallies past Schreiner 37-26 as Mountaineers close first season

Schreiner’s first football season in nearly 70 years began with a touchdown 17 seconds in and ended with the ball at the McMurry 6-yard line.

In between, McMurry scored 23 straight points in the second half and beat the Mountaineers 37-26 on Saturday at Antler Stadium.

Schreiner (3-7, 0-5 American Southwest Conference) led 19-14 midway through the third quarter. McMurry (5-4, 3-2) then scored on a safety and three straight touchdown drives.

DeMarcus Davis returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. The extra point failed, but Schreiner led 6-0.

McMurry went ahead 7-6 in the second quarter when Carson Roper threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Williams. Schreiner answered with a 16-play, 78-yard drive that took 6:36, and Tyler Gilmore’s 2-yard run put the Mountaineers up 13-7 with 2:19 left in the half.

McMurry needed only 1:22 to go back in front. Roper hit Drake Grimes for 38 yards, then found Rhett Butler for an 11-yard touchdown with 47 seconds left. McMurry led 14-13 at halftime.

Schreiner took the lead back on its first drive of the third quarter. Major Luna threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Gray, and the Mountaineers led 19-14 with 10:34 left in the quarter. The extra-point try failed.

The game turned after that. A McMurry punt pinned Schreiner at its own 1, and Christian Lora was tackled in the end zone for a safety two plays later. A Schreiner unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty on the free kick gave McMurry the ball at the Schreiner 46. Corey Layne scored on a 4-yard run six plays later for a 23-19 lead.

Roper broke a 31-yard run to set up Tedrick Williams’ 1-yard touchdown run with 48 seconds left in the third quarter, making it 30-19. Three plays into the fourth quarter, Jayson Henley intercepted Luna at the McMurry 20. Roper finished the 13-play, 80-yard drive that followed with an 8-yard touchdown run for a 37-19 lead.

Traey Alvarado scored on a 1-yard run with 4:24 left to cap a 12-play, 72-yard drive. Schreiner got the ball back with 43 seconds left. Luna completed a 12-yard pass on fourth-and-11 and then hit Gray for 38 yards to the McMurry 6, but time ran out.

Roper completed 20 of 33 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran 13 times for 103 yards and a touchdown. McMurry outgained Schreiner 471-414.

Luna completed 18 of 29 passes for 198 yards, with a touchdown and an interception, and ran for 73 yards on 17 carries. Gray caught five passes for 102 yards. Schreiner ran 53 times for 197 yards and converted 10 of 17 third downs.

Brady Criswell led Schreiner with 15 tackles. Kolton Strey had 13 and Andrew Henley 12, and Devin Eure broke up five passes.

The Mountaineers won three games in their first season, all of them outside the ASC.