McNeil leads Ely to rout of rival Dillard and fourth consecutive Soul Bowl victory
Junior quarterback Omari McNeil had already had a special season entering Saturday’s annual Soul Bowl game against rival Dillard.
When the 56th meeting between the two schools was complete, McNeil racked up numbers that led the Tigers to 31-7 victory at Dillard High.
McNeil played a significant role in the Tigers’ fourth consecutive victory over the Panthers (4-2) with three rushing touchdowns and another through the air to Gary Hadley that went for 69-yards with 8:18 left in the first quarter, giving the Tigers a lead they would not yield.
Ely (6-2) leads the all-time series 29-26-1 that began in 1952. The 24-point victory was the Tigers’ largest since a 50-0 win in 2013.
“This week was big for us being a rivalry,” McNeil said. “We just played our game and did nothing extra. The win was very important as a traditional game. This was a big one for us and we wanted it bad.”
McNeil finished with 57 rushing yards six carries, while throwing for another 160 yards.
“McNeil has kind of figured it out,” Blanche Ely coach Terence McFadden said. “To be honest he has learned a lot and has been able to read the defenses and get us in the right play. This win was big for the community.”
This rivalry game got off to a fast start for both sides.
Three plays into the game McNeil gave the Tigers their first lead with a 60-yard scoring run with only 1:41 into the game.
The lead was short lived at the Panthers took a 7-6 lead when quarterback Javaris Robinson threw a 77-touchdown pass to Anthony Jennings just two plays into their first possession and a 7-6 lead.
After Hadley’s score, McNeil added a 9-yard touchdown run with 9:55 left in the second quarter for a18-7 advantage that held up till halftime.
Though the second half had several miscues by both sides, Ely took advantage of its opportunities, while Dillard failed to capitalize on its chances.
A McNeil run of one-yard and a 10-yard scoring run by Shawn Paschall.
“The tradition is what it is,” Dillard coach Demitris Mincey said. “We didn’t live up to it today. We didn’t execute. Offensively we didn’t do anything and on defense we could stop nothing.”
The Panthers also lost their starting quarterback in (Javaris) Robinson with a right knee injury late in the second quarter as he was carted off by stretcher.