Monday, October 10, 2016

GRC Hopes Die as Tigers Fall to North Andrew 52-18

Worth County crashed and burned in North Andrew a promising start fizzled similar to the playoff game last year. The Tigers got the ball to start the game and on their first play from scrimmage, Isaac Alarcon took off down the left side to score from 51 yards out. That put Worth County up 6-0 just 13 seconds into the game. North Andrew pounded the ball at Worth County, getting 4-5 yards at a time, until they finally got into the end zone with seven minutes left on a four yard spread option from Lance Streeby with 7 minutes left in the first quarter. Streeby ran in the extra points to make it 8-6.
North Andrew had a squib kicking game, rarely kicking it deep. It nearly backfired on them on the next series as Wade Rush scooped up a kick and ran it back to the Cardinal 28. Worth County had a golden opportunity to get back in front, but a false start, a play action pass that fooled nobody, and two other plays that went nowhere forced Worth County to punt.

North Andrew started off with a long ways to go from their own seven, but they only needed three plays to take control of the game as Caleb Patterson’s 14 yard pass set up two long runs from Streeby, who put North Andrew on the scoreboard again to make it 14-6. Worth County fumbled away the ball on its first play on scrimmage and North Andrew marched down the field again as an 8 yard pass from Jacob Patterson to Caleb Patterson capped the drive with 1:03 left. Another pass to Patterson made it 22-6. From there, North Andrew’s line was constantly swarming around Cade Allee and Ryan McClellan, rarely giving them breathing room to get the passing game going. Isaac Alarcon got his yards for Worth County, but North Andrew’s pass rush meant Worth County had trouble mounting a comeback bid.

They had their chances, but Isaac Alarcon and Wade Rush both dropped sure touchdown passes during the course of the game. Cade Allee sustained a possible concussion in the third quarter and had to come out; Ryan McClellan came in and took over at quarterback for Worth County.
Ryan McClellan found some daylight for Worth County late in the first half, ripping off a 31-yard run to get to the 8. But with Worth County facing fourth and goal at the 1, a fumbled snap was blown dead with the ball loose in the end zone and the officials gave the ball back to North Andrew at the 15. So instead of Worth County cutting the lead to 22-14, North Andrew marched down the field to score with 4:56 left as Worth County continued to be helpless against the pass like they were against Christian and Pattonsburg. The drive was capped off with a 34 yard strike from Powelson to Patterson to make it 28-6 with 4:56 left.

Worth County could not solve the swarming North Andrew defense and had fourth and 15 at their own 35, but they pulled off a perfect fake punt as Isaac Alarcon threw a strike to Mason Hawk for a first down at the Cardinal 25; North Andrew Coach Jon Schoonover was livid as the momentum swung in Worth County’s favor. Despite Schoonover’s protests, a defensive holding put the ball on the 10 and strike from Cade Allee to Wade Rush made it 28-12 with 31.5 seconds. For some reason, North Andrew tried a spread option and Mason Hawk shot through and blew it up, pouncing on a fumble at the Cardinal 18. But then Isaac Alarcon dropped a sure score from Caleb Parman on a reverse pass play and time ran out.

Despite Schoonover demanding a holding penalty, Worth County stopped North Andrew on its first possession of the second half, fumbled it back, but then got another stop thanks to Ryan McClellan’s diving interception at the Tiger 12 despite further protests from Schoonover. McClellan ripped off a 46 yard run off a busted play, but North Andrew was so quick that their swarming defense stopped Worth County’s drive at the 23.

Finally, Streeby ripped off a 40 yard run on a draw play that fooled everyone and ran in the extra points to make it 36-12. Isaac Alarcon ran back the kickoff to the Cardinal 25, which set up his draw play from 17 yards out with 2:50 left in the third to make it 36-18. But North Andrew marched right back down the field to score on a fullback slip pass from Powelson to Logan Hughes from 6 yards out with 31.5 seconds left in the third. Wade Rush dropped a long pass on Worth County’s next possession and Hughes scored again late in the game from 25 yards out for the final Cardinal tally.

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