College notebook: Brock scores first collegiate TD, Murphy nets two, Sohn buries game-winner

AMES, Iowa — Jirehl Brock’s value doesn’t always show in the final statistics.

Yet, it is clear he’s a vital part of the Iowa State football team’s offense when you sit in the film room, go through a practice or game plan for that week’s opponent.

“Jirehl is one of those guys that does the dirty work for our team,” Cyclones coach Matt Campbell told reporters following last Saturday’s 59-7 whitewashing of Kansas at Jack Trice Stadium. “Sometimes he’s the lead blocker, sometimes he’s in on short yardage and to see that guy get rewarded was great.”

In the first quarter, with the Cyclones already ahead 21-0, Brock caught a swing pass from quarterback Brock Purdy and ran untouched into the left side of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown.

It was the first collegiate touchdown for Brock, the former Quincy High School all-stater who is the program’s career leader in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and scoring. The 6-foot, 215-pound redshirt sophomore has played in all five games this season with 14 carries for 72 yards and two receptions for 9 yards.

And now he has a touchdown to go with those stats.

“He was probably the fifth read on that play and credit to Brock Purdy for getting him that ball, but man, it’s awesome to see a guy like that get rewarded,” Campbell said. “Sometimes it’s frustrating because you want to be the guy. You want to be the guy who’s getting the ball and all the carries. 

“You have to be mentally tough to keep grinding away at it. For him, it’s awesome and what a great reward to find the end zone.”

Murphy nets two goals in Cougars’ victory

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — Scoring has been a challenge for the SIU-Edwardsville men’s soccer team as the Cougars have been shut out four times in their last seven games — a stretch in which they’ve gone 1-5-1.

However, in the 4-0 victory over Evansville last week on the road in Missouri Valley Conference play, Quincy Notre Dame graduate Mitchell Murphy gave the Cougars a needed jolt.

The former all-stater who led the Raiders to the Class 1A state championship in 2018, Murphy scored SIUE’s first goal in the 43rd minute for a 1-0 halftime edge. He added another goal in the 57th minute. They were his first two goals of the season.

A transfer from SMU who is a redshirt freshman, Murphy has started three of the 10 games in which he’s played and has 14 shots with nine shots on goal. He’s averaging 52 minutes per game.

Sohn’s first goal sparks weekend sweep for Saints

ST. LOUIS — J.D. Sohn is back in the Maryville men’s soccer team’s lineup, and the Saints are benefitting in a big way.

The senior midfielder, who is a Quincy High School graduate, missed Maryville’s first six games, but he saw time off the bench September 24 against Rockhurst and made his first start September 26 against William Jewell.

Last Friday night, on the road against Drury, Sohn netted his first goal of the season. He scored off a Jimmy Doherty assist in the 43rd minute and the Saints made the lead last for a 1-0 victory at Harrison Stadium in Springfield, Mo. It was the fourth game-winning goal of his career.

Maryville has won three straight games and gone 3-1 since Sohn’s return, moving into the top four in the Great Lakes Valley Conference standings.

Plunkett making special teams plays for Bearcats

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Peyton Plunkett is taking advantage of every snap he gets.

The former Palmyra all-state linebacker is a fixture on special teams for the Northwest Missouri State football squad, having blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown in a 47-0 victory over Central Missouri. He has two tackles this season on special teams.

The 6-foot-2, 236-pound Plunkett is playing a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker for the Bearcats, who are 4-0 and ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Division II national poll.

Bradley, Lions on verge of success

JOPLIN, Mo. — Atiba Bradley’s first victory as a collegiate head coach came three weeks into the season, but if his Missouri Southern football team can find a way to make a tide-turning play in critical situations, the Lions may play the role of spoiler in the MIAA.

Bradley, a former assistant coach at Quincy University and Western Illinois University, is in his first season at Missouri Southern, which is 1-4. The Lions won 14-10 at Central Oklahoma on September 17 for Bradley’s first victory, and they nearly pulled off an upset of Pittsburg State last week with a 20-16 setback. Two of the four losses have been by four points.

The Lions will play three of their final six games at home, including playing host to Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri State in back-to-back games on October 30 and November 6.

Missouri Southern defensive coordinator Joe Bettasso and safeties coach Mitch Leppke are former QU assistant coaches as well.