Marengo Academy overcame an early disadvantage with a pair of second half touchdowns to pick up a 21-12 win over Hooper Academy Friday night.

“We’re just glad to get a first game victory,” Marengo head coach Robby James said.

Marengo took a 7-6 lead in the second quarter when Matt Etheridge scored on a one-yard run before Chris Sammons added the extra point. MA appeared poised to take the lead into the locker room when a defensive breakdown allowed Hooper to take the advantage.

“We let them break a run with less than a minute in the half,” James said. “They ran about 60 yards and then put it in on the next play. We had our heads down a little bit going into the locker room.”

The Longhorns recovered in the second half when Etheridge found paydirt again, this time on a four-yard run. Sammons added the extra point for the 14-12 lead.

Marengo added to that lead in the fourth quarter when Matt Wallace found Sammons for a 10-yard touchdown strike. The receiver then turned kicker again, adding his own extra point for the 21-12 lead.

“I thought we got better as the game went on,” James said. His team rushed the ball 46 times for 225 yards and two scores while holding the Hooper ground game to 137 yards on 25 carries. The Longhorns divided the carries evenly between Etheridge and Rabe Hale. Etheridge gained 63 yards on 17 carries while Hale accounted for 80 yards on 17 totes. Wallace also went 5-for-9 through the air for 88 yards. Ehteridge had nine total tackles while Alan Flowers had eight to help lead the defense.

Marengo Academy returns to action next Friday night when it hosts Clarke-Prep at home in a region contest.