Madison defense continues strong start to season as Mavericks shut out Jay

Two games into the young season, Madison’s rejuvenated defense has been a brick wall.

The Mavericks dominated on defense for the second straight week, shutting out Jay 21-0 Friday at Heroes Stadium.

Madison has opened the season with back-to-back shutouts following a 10-0 win over New Braunfels Canyon in Week 1.

On Friday, Madison (2-0) jumped to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and allowed its defense to do the rest. The Mavericks limited Jay (0-2) to 207 yards of total offense and forced four turnovers – three fumbles and one interception – one of which was returned for a score.

Senior linebacker Liberty Boss, one of the leaders of the Madison defensive unit, credited new head coach Myles Duelm and new defensive coordinator Kyle Lengyel for establishing a fresh culture that has brought success so far for a Mavericks squad that finished 3-8 last season, sneaking into the playoffs in the last week.

“We got a young crew on defense,” Boss said. “We’re rolling. We got something to prove. We only went 3-8 last year and made the playoffs barely, but we’re coming back and we’re working really good every single day. We’re trying to prove something here.

“(Lengyel) is a wizard. We have a new culture here. It’s a new Madison, it’s not the same old Madison that’s been defeated, defeated, defeated, losing record, losing record. We’re here for something new.”

Duelm, who was the offensive coordinator at Reagan before taking the reins at Madison this season, said the leadership of Lengyel is the reason the defensive unit is flourishing.

“It starts with the leadership of our defensive coordinator Kyle Lengyel,” Duelm said. “He’s a special dude. He invests a lot of time and effort in his players. He cares about his players. He cares about his craft. We’re extremely fortunate to have him, but in the end it’s a players’ game. You have to have good players that work hard and believe in a plan, that execute it.”

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Duelm praised the front seven for setting the foundation on defense, in particular linebackers Boss, Juan Gonzalez and Mikel Byles.

“Really, that second level, that linebacker group, are really, really good about taking whatever happens in the front, that defensive front does and making them right with how they play,” Duelm said. “They all fly to the ball really, really fast.”

Senior running back Decoreion McMillian carried the Madison offense with 138 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. The Mavericks mustered 266 total yards, just enough to boost a Madison squad that is off to its first 2-0 start since 2023.

Madison took the early lead, as the Mavericks covered 62 yards in three plays on the opening possession of the game. McMillian started the drive with a 31-yard run to the Jay 31-yard line. Two plays later, Brady Eggleston threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Brito for a 7-0 Madison advantage just 40 seconds into the game.

After holding and forcing Jay to punt, Madison took over from its own 41, covering 59 yards in seven plays capped by McMillian’s 11-yard scoring run out of the Wildcat formation with 6:21 left in the first quarter.

Senior defensive back Ay’dein Armstrong put the finishing touches on the win for Madison, returning a fumble recovery 53 yards for a touchdown with 8:57 left in the game.

Madison’s defense controlled the game, limiting Jay to two scoring chances. Madison snuffed out the Mustangs’ first drive with a fumble recovery the Mavericks’ 13, and defensive back Josiah Thomas ended another promising Jay drive with an interception in the third quarter.

Even with the win, there are some things that Duelm and the new Madison coaching staff are intent on improving, including 128 yards in penalties that cost the Mavericks potential points as two drives ended in missed field goals. Madison was assessed three personal foul infractions.

Duelm said those mistakes will be corrected in time as Madison takes on San Marcos next Friday in its first road game of the season.

“We’re moving in the right direction,” Duelm said. “And eventually, right, we will be playing cleaner. But right now, we’re not playing cleaner on offense. We got a lot of getting better to do, but lessons after a win are way better than lessons learned after a loss.”

Jay, which is off to a rough start under first year coach Joshua Campbell, looks to regroup when it takes on Roosevelt next Saturday.

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This article originally published at Madison defense continues strong start to season as Mavericks shut out Jay.