Worth County Dismantles Spartans in Season Opener

The South/Nodaway-Holt Spartans came into the season with high hopes. They lost two speedy receivers, but returned prize quarterback Andrew Quinlin, who has emerged as a kicker as well, hitting field goals from as far away as 45 yards in practice. Their skipper, Josh Petersen, broke out the mammoth beard that had been such good luck three years ago, when the Spartans last beat the Tigers. They got off to a good start, but then a pair of goal line stands by the Tigers late in the first quarter swung the momentum in their favor, and they came away with the 80-33 win Friday.

The Spartans marched right down the field on their opening drive, with Quinlin picking up three, hitting Dallas Nowling for 10, and then the tackling broke down as Dylan Schuetz took it 37 yards all the way to the one. Houston Coleman ran in the touchdown and Quinlin kicked the extra point to make it 7-0 with 11:04 left in the first.

Worth County only needed two plays to respond as Andrew Alarcon took it four yards to the 37 yard line and then Alex Rinehart took a quick pitch down the left side of the field. He cut back to the right side and across the field before taking it to the house from 43 yards, in which he ran about 60 to get to paydirt. Worth County could not convert the extra points and trailed 7-6 with 10:17 left.

The Tigers appeared to have the Spartans backed up third and 12 at their own 20, but then nobody guarded Dylan Schuetz, who was all alone for a strike from Quinlin from 60 yards out to make it 13-6. The track meet continued as the Tigers kept pace after setting up shop at their own 27. Andrew Alarcon took it three, and then Aydan Gladstone broke tackle after tackle up to the Spartan 34 after getting a block from Jaxon Anderson. Worth County lined up in the Wildkat formation, and Andrew Alarcon faked a handoff to Alex Rinehart and then shot through a big hole up the middle for a 34 yard score with 8:28 left. Aydan Gladstone optioned it to Andrew Alarcon to put Worth County in front 14-13.

Once again, nobody guarded one of the Spartan receivers, this time Houston Coleman, who took a 49 yard screen pass to the 10. But this time, the Tigers made the first of two key goal line stands. First, the pass rush finally got to Quinlin, who was flushed out and underthrew a receiver in the end zone. Then, Quinlin scrambled for three to the seven. Reed McIntyre broke up a pass in the end zone, and then Quinlin shanked a field goal attempt to give Worth County the ball back on downs at the seven.
Andrew Alarcon picked up three yards to the 10, an offsides penalty moved it to the 15, and then Aydan Gladstone aired it out to Jaxon Anderson for 65 yards with 6:44 left to put Worth County in front 22-13 after Alarcon ran in the extra points.

The tackling broke down again as Schuetz’s catch and run took the ball 27 yards down to the 11, and carries by Coleman and Quinlin put the ball on the one. But then a false start gave Worth County a chance to hold, and Jaxon Anderson got a sack. One Quinlin pass was too far for Gavin Leeper, and Aydan Gladstone broke up another pass. On fourth and goal at the 8, Quinlin’s pass was picked off by Andrew Alarcon and returned all the way to the Tiger 33.

Alex Rinehart dodged and weaved his way for 10 to the Spartan 37, and the Tigers drove down to the 13 before a sack and a two yard loss from Alex Rinehart put the ball back on the 20 where it was third and 17. It was that way all night, and it was that way during the jamboree – the Tigers would struggle for a few plays in a row, then hit the other side with a big play. This was the case on both sides of the ball Friday. This time, Alex Rinehart caught a screen pass on the left side of the field, got a block from Austin Welch, and sprung free into the end zone with 43 seconds left to put the Tigers in front 28-13.

The fireworks were not over in the first quarter, as Alex Rinehart got a pick six after Justin Dye pressured Quinlin, who threw up a floater for Rinehart to snag. That put Worth County in front 34-13 after one.

Dye got another quarterback hurry, and then Alex Rinehart got good pursuit on a sweep by Houston Coleman, dropping him for no gain at the 26. The Spartans tried a flare pass, only for Dye, of all people, to recognize the play and cover Coleman perfectly, nearly picking off the pass, forcing them to punt.

Worth County only needed one play to take advantage after taking the ball at their own 30. Andrew Alarcon shot through a hole up the middle, broke a tackle, and was off to the races with 11:06 left. Aydan Gladstone took a power sweep in for the extra points to make it 42-13.

The Spartans got a first down on their next series, getting the ball to the 37 before giving it up on downs. Once again, it took Worth County only one play to take advantage as Aydan Gladstone shot up the middle and bounced outside, getting a 43 yard run. On the extra point try, Gladstone dropped back to pass, got a block from Austin Welch, and it took him a minute to recognize the mammoth hole he opened. But he scampered in to make it 50-13 with 9:06 left in the period.

The Spartans struck back when they went to their zone/read look, which threw Worth County off balance. They would hand off to one of their backs, who either took the ball. If they didn’t, Quinlin would pull back and throw. They marched down the field until Coleman gashed the Tigers with runs of 12 and 15 with 6:33 left to get into the end zone. Quinlin ran in the extra points to make it 50-21.
Worth County overcame a sack on its next possession with a leaping catch by Alex Rinehart to keep their drive alive for 19 yards to the Spartan 36. Andrew Alarcon took an option pitch 11 more to the 25, and Alex Rinehart got 11 more to the 14. On the next play, Aydan Gladstone got loose on a sweep down the right side and Austin Welch blocked two defenders at once to spring him loose for a score. Alex Rinehart caught a pass to make it 58-21.

Quinlin aired one out to Alex Harris for 30 yards with 3:01 left to close his team to within 58-27. Worth County set up at their own 30 and then Alex Rinehart’s first down run took it to the Spartan 39. On third and three at the 32, Aydan Gladstone aired it out to Jaxon Anderson for six and Alex Rinehart took an option pitch for the extra points to make it 66-27 with 18 seconds left. Gladstone jumped a route and got a pick to thwart any answers for the Spartans before half.

Worth County went three and out to start the second half, and a bad snap was recovered by Gladstone, but he was buried at the 22 to start the half. The zone/read look that the Spartans had used previously worked again as Coleman needed only two carries to traverse the 22 yards.

The Tigers got the ball back at their own 31, and then Andrew Alarcon broke tackle after tackle to the 40. He got six more off a block from Austin Welch, but a sack and a Delay of Game penalty put the ball back on the 36. Andrew Alarcon got into the Wildkat formation and got loose again as he took it to the house from 44 yards to make it 72-33 with 7:14 left in the third.

Worth County got the ball right back, as on their first play from scrimmage, a bad snap got away from the Spartans and Jaxon Anderson recovered it on the 14. They got backed up all the way to the 24 by sacks and false starts, but on fourth down, Aydan Gladstone took a shotgun snap, came under a rush, moved up in the pocket, and found Jaxon Anderson for the score. Alex Rinehart ran it in behind a block from Reed McIntyre, prompting South/Nodaway Holt to throw in the towel with 5:22 left in the third.