Monroe County football coach Billy Joe Murphy declined to comment on why Falcons starting quarterback Ty Mink sat out last week and the first half of Friday’s game against Warren Central.

Murphy may have been reticent on the reasoning, but had to concede Friday night that seeing Mink’s fresh legs churn up yardage in the second half for Friday’s 21-14 win was a welcome sight.

Mink shredded the Dragons for 153 rushing yards and two touchdowns over the final two quarters, rallying the Falcons from a 14-7 halftime deficit for their second win of the season.

“He’s a playmaker,” Murphy said. “He got out there and did what he does – he made plays. And he was ready to play, and I think his teammates were ready to have him back.”

With Mink out last week in the Falcons’ 48-0 home loss and again for the first half against the Dragons, the Falcons’ offense struggled to accomplish much with just 21 yards of offense.

Monroe County (2-1) dropped a bombshell on the opening kickoff, as Braxton Walker raced 88 yards for a touchdown just 13 seconds into the game.

“We didn’t get lined up correctly, and gave up an easy score – so spotted them seven points, and we just can’t do that,” Warren Central coach Joel Taylor said. “We’ve got to make teams beat us. We cannot beat ourselves.”

Other than that, the Falcons scuffled in the first two quarters by committing four of their six turnovers in the rain-drenched game.

The Dragons got their first score off one of those turnovers, when Kalab Metcalfe gathered in a loose ball after D.J. Tyner knocked it loose on a pass play. Metcalfe, who finished with two interceptions, raced in for a 15-yard touchdown with 5:37 left in the first quarter.

Tyner (131 rushing yards) gave the Dragons a rare lead in the second quarter. Operating at quarterback out of the wildcat formation, Tyner weaved through the middle for an 11-yard touchdown run. He then added a successful two-point conversion run, and Warren Central – losers of 15 straight heading into the game – led 14-7 with 4:52 left in the half.

Mink, warming up on the sideline, got his chance after the Dragons punted away their opening possession of the second half. Mink’s first touch went for a 48-yard run, but two plays later Warren Central’s Xavier Patrick-Brown killed the drive with an interception at the Dragons’ 3-yard line.

“We lost the turnover battle, but ended up winning the game,” Murphy said. “We scratched, guys made plays, we hung in there. It was a tough game. Warren Central is so much better than they were last year.”

The Dragons gave the ball right back by fumbling at their own 3 on the next play, with Monroe’s Landon Stinson getting the recovery.

Mink got his first touchdown two plays later with a 4-yard run with 7:56 left in the third quarter.

From there, it largely became a battle of field position as neither team could sustain much in the blowing rain. Monroe County managed just 22 passing yards with four interceptions, while the Dragons had just five passing yards.

“I thought our defense played extremely hard,” Taylor said. “They gave us chance after chance. Between the weather and Monroe’s defense, it was just very difficult to move the football.”

The Falcons iced the win with one long drive. The 10-play, 62-yard march capped by Mink’s 4-yard touchdown run on third-and goal burned nearly six minutes off the game clock and left the Dragons with less than a minute left.

Tyner’s interception on the ensuing two-point conversion pass still gave Warren Central some hope, but Monroe County recovered a pooch kick on the kickoff and ran out the clock for the win.

“I was really proud of our effort,” Taylor said. “We battled and gave ourselves a chance to win.”

Warren Central is back in action Friday at John Hardin.

Monroe County 7 0 8 6 – 21

Warren Central 6 8 0 0 – 14

First quarter

MC – Braxton Walker 88 kickoff return (Nick Coffelt kick), 11:47

WC – Kalab Metcalfe 15 interception return (run failed), 5:37

Second quarter

WC – D.J. Tyner 11 run (Tyner run), 4:52

Third quarter

MC – Ty Mink 4 run (Landon Stinson run), 7:56

Fourth quarter

MC – Mink 4 run (pass failed), 50.5 seconds{&end}