Worth County set a school record for most points scored in the playoffs as they dismantled Tarkio 76-30 in the opening round of state playoff action Friday. The Indians used a pair of kickoff returns for touchdowns and another long kickoff return to stay in the game for much of the first half. But then Worth County got the momentum back right before the break and pulled away to trigger the running clock. The previous record for most points scored in a playoff game for Worth County was 70 in the state championship game against Hardin-Central in 2007.
The opening kickoff went over the Tarkio back's head and Dallas Greenland and Dalton Welch led a swarm of Tigers who buried the Indians at the 11. Three runs only netted three yards for Tarkio as Eli Mullock and John Hinz stopped a run and Jordan Harding filled hard on another play to deny them. On the ensuing punt, Worth County rushed the kicker and got a hand on the punt, which squibbed out of bounds at the Tarkio 20. Worth County was faced with third and five, but an offsides penalty gave them the first down at the 10 and then Alex Harmening picked up a block from Cody Green and then dove into the end zone for the extra points to make it 8-0 with 9:02 left.
But Tarkio made a momentum-changing play when Dillon Noland ran straight up the middle for a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff. Kyle Livengood ran in the extra points for Tarkio to tie it up at 8-8. Worth County got off three running plays, but then threw an interception that gave the ball right back to Tarkio at their own 35. But then Tarkio, faced with fourth and two at the Tiger 37, elected to punt and gave the ball back to the Tigers at their own 15 after the punt went into the end zone. This time, Worth County would not be denied as Eli Mullock got three carries behind the blocking of Cody Green to move to the Tarkio 36. Finally, Alex Harmening got a block from Dallas Greenland to spring him in the clear and he scored his second touchdown, a 36-yard scamper, to put Worth County back up 14-6 with 3:32 left in the first quarter.
A long kickoff return by Noland was called back by a block in the back penalty, but Tarkio still got the ball in good field position at their own 38, and it set up their next score. A pass interference penalty moved the ball to the 27 and then Tarkio lined up Alex Toben at quarterback and the tall Livengood at receiver. Livengood caught a 22-yard pass that went to the Tiger five; two plays later, Dillon Noland was in the end zone. Livengood's run put Tarkio up 16-14.
Worth County came right back down the field following a successful third down converstion as a spread draw to Eli Mullock got 10 yards to the 35. Bryce Ross then came in at quarterback and was used as a decoy as Tarkio sold out to stop the pass and Eli Mullock bounced to the outside with 11:27 left in the second quarter to make it 22-16. Dallas Greenland ran in the extra points for Worth County.
Alex Toben lined up at quarterback for Tarkio and moved them right down the field with his feet, picking up carries of 12 and 8 yards. Kyle Livengood converted a third and two with a two-yard run to the Tiger 12. But then the Tigers made a goal line stand as Tyler Schmitz belted Toben and shook him up for the rest of the game. Cody Green and Dallas Greenland broke up passes in the end zone and then Cody Mandeville dropped what looked like a sure touchdown pass that would have tied it up and the Tigers held on downs at the 13.
Worth County converted their third consecutive third down as Bryce Ross came in at quarterback and threw a 12-yard strike to Eli Mullock to the 32. A late hit moved the ball into Tarkio territory at the 33. Bryce Ross threw an incomplete pass, but then Alex Harmening's sweep picked up seven yards and then Eli Mullock got a block from Harmening to pick up 13 more to the Tarkio 13. Alex Harmening got 12 yards down to the 1 and then Eli Mullock got blocks from Kevin Stoll, Cody Green, and Dallas Greenland to get into the end zone with 4:49 left. Mullock dove into the end zone on the two point conversion to make it 30-16.
But Worth County's kickoff woes continued as Cody Mandeville ran back the ensuing kickoff for a score; Livengood ran in the extra points to make it 30-24. Two running plays for Worth County went nowhere after they were pinned back on their 18, but Tarkio did not take advantage of their good fortune this time as Bryce Ross aired it out to Eli Mullock for a 32-yard pass to get the Tigers out of a third and ten hole. The ref tacked on a 15-yard roughing the passer play that shook Ross up down to the Tarkio 15. Eli Mullock's sweep went to the three. A false start moved it back to the 8, but then Eli got a block from Dallas Greenland to get into the end zone to make it 36-24 with 2:50 left.
Tarkio moved into Tiger territory with a 17-yard pass to Mandeville and then tried to air it out to cut it to one possession. However, two passes were incomplete; the second one was broken up by Bryce Ross in the end zone. Finally, Toben aired it out one too many times and Eli Mullock intercepted it and returned it to the 34.
Two running plays went nowhere, but once again Bryce Ross came in to bail the Tigers out; a short pass to Alex Harmening netted six yards to the Tarkio 39 and then Ross aired it out to Eli Mullock for the score with 47.6 seconds left to make it 42-24. Tarkio made a bid to score before the half and a couple of complete passes got the ball to the Tiger 26. But then Kevin Stoll got a sack on the final play of the half and Worth County went into the break with all the momentum.
Tarkio kicked off and Adam Summers got a good runback to the 35 to set Worth County up for their first score. Eli Mullock broke tackle after tackle and got a block from Dallas Greenland to the Tarkio 9. Alex Harmening was sacked for a loss of three, but then Bryce Ross came in as a decoy as Eli Mullock's cutback run made it 48-24 with 10:47 left.
Alex Toben went nowhere on two plays as Dallas Greenland ran him out of bounds and then he was gang tackled on the next play. Eli Mullock broke up a third down pass as Tarkio went three and out. A short punt gave Worth County good field position at their own 36 and they took advantage as Eli Mullock handed off to Dallas Greenland for 16 yards to the 28 as he got a block from Alex Harmening. Eli Mullock got five more as he got a block from Wyatt McClain to the 23. An option play lost one yard, but then Eli converted third and six as his cutback run netted 12 yards down to the 12. Mullock got a block from Kevin Stoll and picked up six more and got a facemask penalty added on, moving the ball down to the three. Two plays later, Dallas ran a trap play into the end zone as he squeezed through a narrow gap to score and make it 54-24 with 6:10 left in the third.
Tarkio got driven backwards on their next series as a substitution infraction moved it back to the 22. Hinz then dropped Toben for no gain. Adam Summers blitzed on the next play and got a sack and a fumble as Tarkio was moved all the way back to the 8. Brian Hall recorded a sack on the next play and Kevin Stoll recovered after the ensuing scramble to give Worth County the ball at the Tarkio 9. Worth County only needed one play to score as Bryce Ross lined up at quarterback and bulldozed his way into the end zone with 4:20 left to make it 60-24.
Dalton Welch made one of his signature hits, burying Mandeville to put Tarkio in a hole to start the next drive. Toben ran for five on the next play, but then Livengood nearly fumbled it away as he got a shot from Tyler Schmitz and Adam Summers. Dallas Greenland and Alex Harmening dropped Livengood for no gain on the next play to force Tarkio to punt.
Alex Harmening got eight yards to the 35 as he got a block from Kevin Stoll, but then a block in the back drove Worth County back and they got in a third and 20 hole. But a defensive holding penalty made it third and 10 and then Bryce Ross scrambled his way for a 19-yard run and a first down to the 26. A substitution infraction moved the ball to the 31, but Eli Mullock got a block from Alex Harmening on an option from Ross as he picked up 10 yards to the 21. Eli got three more to make it third and two, but a botched shovel pass lost eight yards. But then Bryce Ross aired it out to Dallas Greenland for the remaining 23 yards to put Worth County up 68-24 as Wyatt Rush ran in the extra points.
Tarkio finally got on the board in the second half, using a seven play 57 yard drive capped by a 9-yard pass to Noland with 8:55 left that made it 68-30 against the second string. The Indians then threw in the towel and turned things over to their JV. Tarkio intercepted a long pass and started at their 21, but they couldn't take advantage and were forced to punt, giving Worth County one last scoring drive to trigger the running clock. Worth County got into a third and eight hole, but Andrew Mullock dragged a host of defenders for 11 yards to the Tiger 33. Wyatt Rush got five more to the 28 and then Dakota Owsley got 18 more yards as he bounced outside to the 10. Two plays later, Owsley was in the end zone; Wyatt Rush ran in his second conversion of the night to make it 76-30 with 2:23 left. Tarkio got a pair of long runs as the clock wound down, but ran out of time before they could get in the end zone.
Worth County was able to score on all but two of their possessions; they owned third downs against the Indians, converting eight of 11 third down conversions against the Indians. They also converted two fourth downs against them. Eli Mullock rushed for 208 yards on 26 carries; Alex Harmening added 85 yards on 8 carries. Bryce Ross had 32 yards and Dallas Greenland 25. Ross was 7 of 10 through the air for 108 yards.
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