Sunday, September 27, 2015

Brevyn Ross Breaks 1,000 Yards; Tigers Continue to Roll

In a week which was marked with shockers and near-shockers, Worth County jumped on Nodaway/South Holt, fended off their comeback attempts, and came away with a 66-18 win in the third quarter Friday. Missouri lost to perennial doormat Kentucky 21-13, while Northwest Missouri State nearly lost to winless Central Oklahoma before pulling off a 23-16 win.

Coach Chris Healy elected to go with a more balanced strategy, starting with the third play of the game in which he put Isaac Alarcon in Wildkat formation; he handed it off to Dylan Mildfeldt on a jet sweep around the left end and he outran everyone for Worth County's first score just 55 seconds into the game. Brevyn Ross still got his yards and recognition -- he ran for 133 that night, and he was KMA's player of the game afterwards. He also caught two passes for 100 yards. Ben Badell threw for 148 yards and Isaac Alarcon ran for 125 as Worth County racked up over 400 yards for the night.

After Josh Petersen's Spartans went three and out, Ross hauled in a 35-yard pass from Ben Badell to set up Worth County's next score. Brevyn scored from 5 yards out after getting blocks from Isaac Alarcon and Tristan Miller with 8:50 left to put Worth County up 14-0. Peterson, for some reason, decided to go for the fake punt on the next play from his own 28; it fooled nobody as Tevin Cameron made a perfect one on one tackle of Brody Day to give Worth County another short field at the Spartan 30. Brevyn Ross took advantage as he ripped off a 13 yarder to the 17, aided by blocks from Mason Hawk and Isaac Alarcon. On the next play Ross went up the middle and got a block from Jacob Hardy. He got to the second level and broke a couple of tackles with 7:08 left. Ben Badell carried out a fake handoff to Isaac that fooled everyone and his keeper supplied the extra points to make it 22-0.

Chris Alarcon stripped Day on the next series to set up another short field for Worth County at the 35. They were faced with third and 11 at the Spartan 36, but then Brevyn Ross shot through the left guard and got a block from Drake Kinsella. That was enough to spring him loose for another score with 5:26 left in the first quarter. Ross got blocks from Chris and Isaac Alarcon to make it 30-0. Dalton Auffert's sack forced Nodaway/South Holt to punt and that set up Ross' 42 yard score, in which he broke through and stiff-armed a would-be tackler with 4:15 left to make it 36-0.

Isaac Alarcon picked off a Hail Mary attempt from Alan Ottman to prize receiver Carey Volner, and the Tigers were back in business again at their own 14. At that point, Coach Chris Healy began filtering in his JV, but Josh Peterson's squad wasn't ready to quit and they forced a three and out and got a score after Ottman threaded the needle to James Chestnut from 18 yards out with 9:23 left in the second quarter to make it 36-6. At that point, Worth County began to play down to the Spartans' level; they were driving in for a potential score when they lost a fumble at the Spartan 19. Worth County held on the next series, but then could not get anything going as Petersen was stacking the box with eight players and Worth County was getting nowhere with its running game. That set up Ottman's 1-yard sneak to make it 36-12 with 2:01 left in the half.

Worth County ran out most of the clock for the half; aided by a facemask penalty on Nodaway/South Holt, they were able to get down to the 9. Brevyn Ross then attempted a halfback pass and led Chris Alarcon perfectly for a strike to make it 44-12 with 26.4 seconds left. But an attempt to squib kick it backfired as Zach Walker scooped it up and ran it back with 18 seconds left to make it 44-18. But after Tevin Cameron fell on a squib at the Tiger 15, Worth County set up a perfectly executed tunnel screen to Brevyn Ross, who followed his blocking down the right sideline and into the endzone for a 65-yard score with 3.3 seconds to spare. Isaac Alarcon threw a block and Brevyn ran in the extra points to make it 52-18 at the half; that turned out to be the backbreaking play. The fortunate thing about that screen pass was that Nodaway/South Holt got the ball to start the second half; if Worth County had not scored, the Spartans would have had two opportunities to score without Worth County touching the ball.

As it was, the Spartans shot themselves in the foot to start the half; Nate Pointer, who had been flagged for roughing the passer on one of their scoring drives, redeemed himself on their first play from scrimmage as he recovered perfectly after getting beat and hauled in a pick at the Tiger 34. That set up the highlight film play of the night as Ben Badell led Chris Alarcon perfectly down the field with a throw that traveled over 60 yards for a score; Topher reached out and the ball stuck to his hands like velcro. Mason Hawk made a leaping catch in the end zone to make it 60-18.

Nodaway/South Holt tried in vain to stop the bleeding, going three and out after a guard eligible play to Nali Tattersall went astray. Worth County was faced with fourth and four at their own 37, but then Mason Hawk caught a pass leaning over the sideline and somehow managed to keep his feet inbounds to keep the drive alive. Brevyn Ross then dragged a defender five yards down to the 24 and then Isaac Alarcon broke a couple of tackles and walked the tightrope down the right sideline to finish Nodaway/South Holt at the 7:43 mark in the third quarter.

No comments: