Saturday, October 17, 2015

Ben Badell Rushes for Career High as Tigers Win Senior Night

Ben Badell, normally known for his deep passing ability, ran for 115 yards to lead Worth County past East Atchison 80-32. He dodged, weaved, and threaded his way through traffic as he led his team to victory over a Wolves squad which showed a lot of improvement over some of the lifeless losses they have had. Tevin Cameron ran back consecutive kickoffs for scores, while Brevyn Ross and Isaac Alarcon had their moments as well. The stats were down Friday night because Worth County had a lot of short fields to work with thanks to special teams. They did well to limit their turnovers to 1; had they turned the ball over like they did against Stanberry (5), it would have been a much different ballgame. Brevyn Ross added 88 yards and Isaac Alarcon had 71.

Before the game, seniors from band and football along with Tiger Mascot Lydia Babb were recognized along with their families. Also recognized were football players Chris Alarcon, Ben Badell, Max Giesken, Jacob Hardy, Montana Lykins, Tristan Miller, Nate Pointer, Brevyn Ross, and Rune Zinn along with band members Joel Kollitz and Will Runde.

But East Atchison pulled off a successful onsides kick as the ball caromed off Dalton Auffert and into the white shirts; six plays later, Garrett Ball was in the end zone to make it 6-0 with 9:32 left in the first. Worth County was still playing in a stupor from having lost its last two and nearly lost the next kickoff to the Wolves before Tevin Cameron bobbled it around and scooped it up and returned it to the 40 as Brevyn Ross pushed him forward into a hole. They got into a hole thanks to a holding penalty, but got out of it as Brevyn Ross took a direct snap and took it 17 yards to the 33 and little-used Max Giesken caught a pass over the middle for 30 yards to the 3. That was enough for Brevyn Ross to push his way into the end zone behind a block from Jacob Hardy. Brevyn ran in the extra points behind a block from Isaac Alarcon to make it 8-6 with 8:40 left.

East Atchison went three and out, and then Ben Badell carried the team on his back, picking up 21 yards on a sweep behind blocking from Brevyn Ross and Tevin Cameron to the 19. He then froze the Wolves' defense with a perfect fake that fooled everyone and used a block from Chris Alarcon to get into the end zone with 7:13 left to make it 14-6.

A fake punt fooled nobody as Gage McAdams' run was met short of the first down at the Wolves' 27; Worth County took advantage of another short field to score again. Brevyn Ross dove into the middle, got blocks from Jacob Hardy and Tristan Miller, and bounced to the outside for 16 yards down to the 3. Ben Badell took on a defender and pushed his way to the 1, and Brevyn got the final yard with 4:39 left. Ross ran in the extra points to make it 22-6.

Once again, East Atchison went three and out; this time, they elected to kick, but Tristan Miller got his hand on the punt and Brevyn Ross scooped it up and returned it to the Wolves' 26. Once again, Ben Badell carried the team as he froze everyone by faking a play action pass, pulling down the ball, and scrambling 22 yards to the 4. Isaac Alarcon ran in the final four yards and then ran in the extra points behind blocking from Drake Kinsella and Mason Hawk to make it 30-6.

Worth County looked to add to its lead as East Atchison went for it on fourth and three at their own 31 after Worth County had been called for running into the kicker. The Wolves were stopped short, but Worth County was stopped for one of two times all night as Shae DeRosier shot through and stripped Isaac Alarcon at the Wolves' 9; he would have gone in for a score had he not made that play. Quarterback Brendon Bruns then carried Bryant Hummel's squad on his back as he scrambled 37 yards to get out of trouble into Tiger territory and then followed that up with a long pass to Gage McAdams from 31 yards out. This showed the kind of game that East Atchison has when they are on; Coach Chris Healy put four different people on receiver Gage McAdams, but could never slow him down the rest of the way. The scary thing about it is McAdams is only a freshman; however, Wolves coach Bryant Hummell will have to find someone to get him the ball since Bruns will graduate after this year. They can also direct snap it to runningback Garrett Ball as well.

But Tevin Cameron would not let the Wolves get back in the game as he ran back the ensuing squib kick 54 yards for a score. He had struggled with returning kicks last week; however, he did a much better job this week of trusting his speed and his blockers. Brevyn Ross ran in the extra points to make it 38-12 with 9:35 left. Once again, East Atchison marched right back down the field, getting a 36 yard strike from Bruns to McAdams with 7:42 left to make it 38-18. But then Tevin returned it for a score once again, getting a block from Nate Pointer, who took out two defenders on that play.

This time, East Atchison, instead of throwing straight down the field to McAdams, got him loose on a pick play and isolated him on Rune Zinn. He made the catch, but Rune made the hustle play of the night; he never gave up on the play, but made a shoestring tackle of McAdams at the 2 to keep him out of the end zone. Ball's run put the Wolves in the end zone two plays later to make it 44-24 with 6:21 left.

There was a heartstopping moment on the ensuing onsides kick; a recovery and score would have put Bryant Hummel's Wolves right back in the game two scores down. But Tristan Miller fell on the ball right before being swarmed under by the white shirts at the 36. Dylan Mildfeldt's 23 yard run, where he broke some tackles and weaved through traffic moved the ball to the 17. A holding penalty moved them back to the 22, but Isaac bounced to the outside as a fake to Brevyn Ross fooled everyone and he got down to the 1. Brevyn Ross would not be denied on the next play as he head-butted a defender to push his way in. Ben Badell threw a pass to Chris Alarcon that was a little high, but Topher bobbled it several times and finally gathered it in for the extra points to make it 52-24. A roughing the passer penalty on East Atchison allowed Worth County to kick it into the end zone, and they went three and out.

Brevyn Ross ran back the ensuing punt to the Wolves' 16 on a play set up when Tevin Cameron held up his man perfectly. The Tigers were stuck with fourth and 9 at the 15, but Ben Badell carried out a perfect option fake to the right, pulled back, and threw a strike to Isaac Alarcon on the other side on a screen pass; he made it into the end zone. A holding penalty called back Worth County's first extra point try, but then a reverse to Tevin Cameron fooled everyone and he made it unchallenged with 1:31 left to make it 60-24 with 1:31 left in the half.

East Atchison got the ball to start the second half, but Brevyn Ross and Nate Pointer shot through to deny Ball a first down on a direct snap play on fourth and one, giving Worth County the ball on the Wolves' 37. Ben Badell once again got loose, scrambling down the field and reversing his field twice to get down to the 25 after a holding penalty had wiped out a first down run. Two plays later, Isaac Alarcon got loose as he shot straight up the middle on a spread draw from 25 yards out to make it 66-24.

Worth County could have ended the game earlier, as East Atchison went three and out and Brevyn Ross returned the ensuing punt down to the 18. But then Coach Chris Healy gave his JV a chance to end the game and they could not do the job, turning the ball back to the Wolves on downs. Given new life, Bruns aired it out to McAdams, covered by Brevyn Ross. Ross had it covered perfectly, but slipped on the play and McAdams' 61 yard pass made it 66-32 with 3:29 left after Ball's extra point run.

Healy put his starters back in and only needed one play to respond after Jacob Hardy scooped up the ensuing onsides kick, found some daylight, and dragged some defenders 10 yards to the Wolves' 27. From there, Ben Badell bounced to the outside on a keeper and got blocks from Brevyn Ross and Isaac Alarcon to score; Alarcon bowled over a defender to make it 74-32. Nate Pointer's sack forced three and out and Brevyn Ross' 40 yard option run finished it at the 1:06 mark of the third quarter.

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