DIXON’S MILLS – Linden (8-1, 6-0) hung 21 points on the board in the first four minutes of the game, asserting its dominance early en route to a 63-0 throttling of Marengo.

Linden, which has shared home field advantage with the Marengo High School all season long, entered Friday’s game as the road team and made itself right at home quickly as Jalen Lewis hauled in a 30-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Robinson just 45 seconds into the game.

Lewis then intercepted a pass and returned inside the Panther 5 to set the Patriots up for one-yard touchdown run by Julian Little, stretching the LHS lead to 13-0 with 9:30 to go in the first quarter.

With 8:09 remaining in the opening quarter, Lewis struck again when he took a pass from Robinson 30 yards for another score. The 2-point conversion stretched the Linden lead to 21-0.

“I think we were more focused tonight than we’ve been since week four or week five,” Linden head coach Andro Williams said.

After forcing a quick three-and-out, Linden drove 67 yards on six plays for its next score, which came on an eight-yard TD blast by Marquis Shelton. Ryan Preston’s extra point left Linden up 28-0 with 2:40 remaining in the game’s opening quarter.

Linden took the ball back on the next play from scrimmage as Robinson intercepted a pass to set the Patriot offense up at the MHS 32. Four plays later, Robinson hit tight end Terris Lewis for a 57-yard touchdown pass. Preston’s extra point kick sailed through the uprights as the 35th Patriot point of the first quarter.

On the second play of the second quarter, Shelton intercepted a pass and returned it to the Marengo 34. Four plays later, Robinson popped out from under center and hit Jorian Ravizee on a 10-yard touchdown pass. Robinson then connected with Jeremy Carr for the 2-point conversion to stretch the lead to 43-0.

Linden moved the advantage to 50-0 with 2:17 to go in the half when Shelton sprinted for a 15-yard touchdown run.

The final score of the opening half came with 1:46 to go in the second quarter when Jalen Lewis intercepted his second pass of the night, taking this one back 27 yards for a touchdown.

Jalen Lewis scored his fourth touchdown of the evening in the second half when he took his only carry 50 yards for a touchdown run to leave the game at its final mark of 63-0. The game’s final two quarters were each six minutes long.

The Patriot defense recorded four interceptions on the night, all in the first half.

“I thought our kids played well,” Williams said. “I thought we smothered them on that side of the ball. I thought our kids came out with more intensity than they did. They were faster and more physical.”

Shelton rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. Robinson went 5-for-7 passing for 128 yards and four touchdowns. Jalen Lewis finished the night with three rushes for 73 yards and a score, two catches for 60 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.