Dylan McIntyre Rips Off 227 Yards; ‘Lil Tigers Win Opener

Dylan McIntyre ripped off 227 yards as the ‘Lil Tigers Senior Squad won their opener Saturday 40-6 over East Union, the team that they faced in the championship game of the Super Bowl last year. Usually, the team that loses the championship game turns around and wins the opener when the two teams meet again, but that was not the case this time as Dylan McIntyre ripped off a 60 yard gain on Worth County’s first play from scrimmage, shooting down the right side untouched for Worth County’s first score.

The game turned sloppy for most of the remaining quarter. After forcing a three and out, McIntyre got a block from Brendon Deardorff and got into Eagles territory with a 14 yard gain down to the 32, but a pair of false starts killed the drive. East Union could not get anything going, but Worth County finally started moving the ball thanks to a late hit out of bounds that placed the ball on the 40. A pass from Braxton Hightshoe to McIntyre netted 31 yards to the 10 and on the next play, McIntyre got loose around the left edge, got a block from Colt Cameron, and got in early in the second quarter to make it 13-0 with 13:20 left in the period after Hightshoe’s extra point run.

Worth County fumbled deep in their own territory on their next possession at their own 25 after tackles from Tanner Ridge and Lance Abplanalp had forced another three and out. East Union had a golden opportunity to get back in the game, but Dylan McIntyre broke up a pass, Levi Cassavaugh rung Joshua Lopez’s bell, Lopez’s first down run was called back by a block in the back, and Jared Frederick’s sweep was pushed out at the 27.

After their goal line stand, Worth County recovered and began moving the ball down the field as Dylan McIntyre got a block from Colt Cameron for 11 yards and then Colt Cameron got a carry from the Tiger 39. He got a block from Boston Adwell and outmuscled his way past two tacklers and broke free with 2:20 left for the 41 yard score to make it 19-0. Boston Adwell had a fumble recovery to kill East Union’s final drive of the half.

Worth County got the ball to start the second half, and they got backed up to their own 8 thanks to a holding penalty. An offsides penalty moved it back to the 13, and then Dylan McIntyre got loose again. He got a block from Wyatt Craven and shot down the right side for a 67 yard scamper; Braxton Hightshoe ran in the extra point to make it 26-0 with 12:11 left in the third quarter.

Jared Frederick nearly broke one for East Union on the next series, but Braxton Hightshoe’s shoestring tackle at the 40 saved a score and a block in the back penalty backed them up. Hightshoe shot through like a missile to drop one of the Eagle backs back to the 30 and then Boston Adwell got his second fumble recovery on the next play to give Worth County a short field to work with. They only needed one play to score as the defense got sucked in on a sweep, Colt Cameron knocked down the last defender between Dylan McIntyre and paydirt, and he scampered in for 31 yards and went over the 200 yard mark with 4:21 left in the third.

Tanner Ridge recovered another Eagle fumble at the 17, setting up McIntyre’s final score with 14:17 left in the fourth to make it 40-0 before East Union used the rest of the fourth quarter to move down the field and score right before time expired.