Mason Hawk was named Homecoming King and Riley Drury Queen at Homecoming festivities Friday afternoon. All veterans were recognized at the parade, during a dinner in their honor at the Fairgrounds Building, and at the game that evening. All four branches of the military were represented at the coin toss. Galen Cook, one of Worth County’s oldest veterans and one of a handful of living World War II vets left, came and was one of the honorary captains.
Worth County had won its last 12 Homecoming tilts and had dropped only one since 1993. The focus of the game was on avoiding a letdown against a team that was much better than its record and had gone into the fourth quarter two weeks ago tied with Stanberry before losing 56-42. Adding to the rivalry was the fact that Cody Green, one of the Christian assistants, is a Worth County grad and the son of long-time pastor Len Green. Ben Craven, the starting quarterback for the Lions, is the son of Josh Craven, a Worth County grad, and the grandson of Neil Craven of Denver. Worth County had gone into an eerily similar game in 1990, its first year of eight man football, going up with a 4-2 record against a 2-4 North Nodaway squad and came up on the short end of the stick.
It looked easy enough at first as Christian went three and out on its first series. Two runs by Craven went nowhere and Tevin Cameron dropped Alex Denny on a screen for a loss back to the 13. A short kick put Worth County in good field position at its own 38 and Worth County aired it out from Ryan McClellan to Bryant McCord for 34 yards to the Lion 8. Isaac rumbled for two and then Tevin Cameron scored on a power sweep with 9:02 left and ran in the extra points to make it 8-0.
But then Christian struck back as they unleashed Malik Tucker, who had been sidelined for most of the season. Braden George, a hard-nosed runningback, had gotten Christian into Tiger territory with a 16 yard carry to the 30, but it seemed like they would stall out on third and 25 back at their own 35 thanks to a sack and a holding penalty. But then Craven aired it out to Tucker, the best receiver Worth County had seen so far, and he came down with the ball for 26 despite Ryan McClellan’s best efforts for a first down at the 19. They unveiled another wrinkle, a shovel pass that looked like a normal dropback pass until Craven dropped it off to Tysan Morrison for 9 yards to the 10; that look worked several times for the Lions. Four plays later, Craven was in the end zone as he scampered around the left end and Tucker came up with another jump ball to tie it up at 8.
Worth County had struggled against Christian historically, dropping one last year and one in the State Title game in 2006; they dropped one in basketball last year and one in basketball in 2008 as well. But they had their historic success in homecoming on their side, and something had to give. Tevin Cameron picked up four up to the 19 on Worth County’s first play and then dropped back to pass, only to tuck it up and scramble for 18 more to the 37. Isaac Alarcon rumbled for 8 more and that set up Cameron’s 27 yard scamper to the 8 as he broke a tackle. Isaac Alarcon picked up two to the 6 and that set up Cameron’s sweep down the left side. He leveled Braden George at the end of the run and got in with 2:12 left. Ryan McClellan’s option pitch to Isaac Alarcon added the extra points to make it 16-8.
This time, Christian went nowhere as Mason Hawk dropped George and Drake Kinsella dropped Tucker on a shovel pass that fooled nobody. That play was critical as Tucker came out of the game and didn’t return until Worth County had gotten separation and control. That was similar to the time when Brevyn Ross knocked Albany’s Seth Kline out of the game with a big hit after Albany was threatening to run away with it and crash Worth County’s Homecoming in 2015. Worth County recovered the momentum and won the game.
George took a pitch 10 yards to the 20 and fourth and five, and instead of kicking it, Christian faked the shovel pass only for the throw to go incomplete and Worth County got the ball on downs with a short field at the Lion 20. This time, Tevin Cameron threw a strike to Caleb Parman to score with 1:13 left and Isaac Alarcon rumbled in after a pitch to make it 24-8.
Despite Tucker’s absence, Christian moved into Worth County territory thanks to a facemask penalty and a 14 yard run from George. They got as far as the Tiger 36, but then Drake Kinsella got a sack and Devan Jackson blew up a shovel pass to set up fourth and 18 at the Lion 36. On the ensuing punt, the snap was bad and Worth County recovered the ball for another short field at the Lion 23. On their first play from scrimmage, Ryan McClellan aired it out to Caleb Parman with 11:50 left in the second. Tevin Cameron threw a shovel pass to Bryant McCord to make it 32-8.
Braden George ran back the ensuing kickoff all the way back to the Tiger 33, but then the Lions couldn’t do anything without Tucker on the field and Worth County got the ball back on downs at the 30. They were set back to their own 23 with a holding penalty, but a five yard run from Isaac Alarcon set up a counter where Tevin Cameron started down the left side and weaved his was to the right for 18 yards to the Lion 34. Ryan McClellan picked up seven and then Isaac Alarcon fooled everyone when he took off down the left side on a play designed to go up the middle and body-slammed a defender at the end of the run for a 13 yard gain to the 14. Worth County was set back by a false start to the 16, but then Cameron bounced down the left side with 7:01 left and Caleb Parman caught the extra point pass from Ryan McClellan to make it 40-8.
In desperation, Christian put Tucker back in and Christian aired it out to George to the 36 and a holding added 10 more to the pass down to the Tiger 34. A swing pass to Tysan Morrison went 11 to the 23, and Christian penetrated as far as the 16 before Drake Kinsella got his third sack of the game to make it fourth and nine. Christian set up a jump ball play for Tucker, but Ryan McClellan this time broke up the pass and Worth County held on downs.
Isaac Alarcon rumbled for gains of 5 and 10 yards before Tevin Cameron took off on a fake counter for 17 down to the Lion 26. Worth County had Isaac Alarcon all along in the end zone, but Ryan McClellan misfired and that set up fourth and two. But a quarterback keeper by McClellan fooled everyone and he took off down the left side for a score with 2:12 left to make it 46-8.
But then with Tucker back, Christian had new life and they aired it out to him for strikes of 21 and 33 right before half. Finally, Braden George took it to the house with 28.7 seconds left to make it 46-14. But the fireworks were not over as Bryant McCord ran back the ensuing kick to the Christian 18 and Tevin Cameron took a power sweep down the left side for a score with 14.1 seconds. Ryan McClellan scrambled for the extra points to make it 54-14.
Christian tried to answer as they covered an onsides kick at the Tiger 37. A holding penalty when Bryant McCord grabbed Tucker’s jersey rather than give up a scoring strike put Christian on the 27 with eight seconds left, and they tried some razzle dazzle with a triple reverse pass. But it fooled nobody as Isaac Alarcon was there for a sack to end the half. This was similar to a lot of games back in 2015, when a lot of fireworks happened right before halftime but the Tigers would survive and win.
Worth County had a chance to end the game on their first possession of the second half, but stalled for once. Starting at their own 25, they rode Isaac Alarcon’s back as he stiffarmed his way for 20 to the Christian 35. An offsides penalty gave Worth County a first and 10 at the 24, then Isaac cut it up for a first down at the 11. But on fourth and inches at the 1, a false start set Worth County back to the six and they could only get to the three on the next play.
It looked like Christian would take advantage of its new lease on life as George bounced outside for 45 yards to the 32. Worth County seemingly held there as Drake Kinsella picked up his fourth sack to make it fourth and 14 at the 36, but once again, Christian aired it out to Tucker for 21 yards and George added 11 more to set up first and goal at the Tiger 4. But on Christian’s second play from scrimmage, Craven dropped back to pass but Isaac Alarcon read the play perfectly, made a diving pick, and gave Worth County the ball back again at their own 15. They only needed two plays to score as Tevin Cameron picked up 9 on a sweep and then went over the 200 yard mark with a 56 yard scamper with 3:13 left in the third to end it. Cameron had 215 yards for the game and did nothing to hurt his league-leading 13.7 yards per carry average.
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