The Tigers came into the game ranked fifth, while Albany was ranked sixth. The game lived up to its billing. Worth County went to 3-1 with the win, while Albany dropped to 2-2.
After a 21 yard burst from Tryce Floyd to the Albany 37 to start the game, Justin Dye recovered a fumble. But Albany held on downs, and then Dawson Butterfield broke through a big hole to get a touchdown from 36 yards out on fourth and two with 7:51 left in the first to go up 6-0.
Worth County held to form, sputtering for several plays in a row, then ripping off a big one. A holding penalty set the Tigers back first and 22 on the 19. Alex Rinehart’s catch and run got the yardage back, but after an incomplete pass, Rinehart’s run was still two yards short on fourth and two at the 39. But Rinehart bounced outside for a score as one of the Tiger blockers got away with holding and Worth County was on the board with 6:06 left. Quarterback Aydan Gladstone rolled right and threw back left to Dylan McIntyre in the left corner of the end zone to put Worth County in front 8-6.
The Warriors got it right back as Ethan Mercer caught a 19 yard pass to the Tiger 29 on third and seven from the 32. Two plays later, the tackling broke down and Butterfield broke free from 26 yards out to score with 4:08 left. Ethan Mercer’s pass put Albany up 14-8.
Worth County lined up in a double wing formation, and Aydan Gladstone threw a strike to Jaxon Anderson for 32 yards to the 20, and then they went to the swinging gate; Alex Rinehart optioned it for nine, and then Alex Rinehart ran it in from 10 yards out with 2:58 left to tie it at 14-14. But then a key turning point came when Tryce Floyd ran back the ensuing kickoff to put Albany back in front 20-14 and two black shirts were slumped on the turf 60 yards away; the body language was like waving a red flag at a bull, and all hell broke loose.
The Tigers got a first down on the next play thanks to Jaxon Anderson’s 19 yard shovel pass, but then the blocking broke down, Albany was in the backfield at will, and Worth County was forced to punt.
The Warriors were third and nine at the 16 when Ethan Mercer converted it for 10 yards to the 26. Albany was faced with third and three at the 33, but then the tackling broke down and Butterfield broke free again for 47 yards and Mercer ran in the extra points to put Albany up 28-14 with 11:03 left.
Worth County still didn’t get out of their funk, as a fumbled option pitch lost ten yards. Jaxon Anderson caught a 14 yard pass to the 32 for third and six, but then the pass blocking broke down and Aydan Gladstone, under pressure, couldn’t hit Andrew Alarcon for what would have been six. Once again, Albany took full advantage after the punt as Dawson Butterfield burst through a big hole with 8:42 left from 53 yards out to put his team up 34-14.
The Tigers were still in a funk, taking too long to get the plays in, getting a false start, and backing themselves up to third and 16 at their own 25. But then a fake pass fooled everyone as Albany bit and Reed McIntyre caught one for 33 yards to the Warrior 22 to keep the drive alive.
All of a sudden, it was like a light switch flipped on for the team; they figured out that not only were they more effective when they hustled up to the line to get the play in, it set the tone for special teams and the other side of the ball as well. Andrew Alarcon ripped off gains of seven to the 15 and then took it to the house to make it 34-22. Aydan Gladstone got a block from Jaxon Anderson and ran it in.
Worth County dipped into the Pattonsburg playbook and attempted an onsides kick which fooled everybody and Jackson Runde recovered at the Warrior 37. A pass was incomplete, but then a pass interference call gave the Tigers first down at the 27. That was all Worth County needed as Andrew Alarcon took a spread draw to the house with 6:42 left to make it a game again at 34-28.
The Warriors were buried by a false start and elected to go for it on fourth and ten at their own 37. They tried to isolate Ethan Mercer for a short pass, but Nate Adwell made a perfect one on one tackle to give the Tigers the ball back.
Aydan Gladstone’s would-be 42 yard touchdown run was called back to the 32 by a holding penalty, but Alex Rinehart’s catch and run for 17 put the ball on the 12. Two false starts made it third and 16 at the 18, but then Andrew Alarcon took an option pitch to the house with 1:33 left. Aydan Gladstone’s keeper put Worth County in front 36-34.
Albany tried to score one more time before the half. Tryce Floyd scrambled for 12 to the 29 and a first down. Butterfield, who the Tigers had trouble tackling for the whole half, picked up two before Jaxon Anderson made a perfect one on one tackle at the 26 after the black shirts batted a pass down on first down.
The Warriors had two shots at the end zone, but Aydan Gladstone covered one try perfectly in the end zone, while Jaxon Anderson got pressure on fourth down and forced Floyd to hurry a throw, giving the Tigers the ball back on downs at the 27 with 0.9 seconds left. That turned out to be enough time, as Worth County went to the Swinging Gate and successfully isolated Alex Rinehart for a screen; he started on the right side and veered all the way over to the left side as he took it to the house as time expired. Reed McIntyre was all alone for the extra point pass to make it 44-34 at halftime.
Albany tried to get an onsides kick to swing the momentum back in its favor, but it fooled nobody as the green shirts overran the play and Justin Dye, all 245 pounds of him, grabbed it and took it to the house from 40 yards away with 11:53 left in the third. He showed some skill, as he only needed seven seconds to motor the 40 yards down the field. That made it 52-34 after Dylan McIntyre wrested the ball from a green shirt to catch the extra point pass.
The Warriors finally broke the Worth County run as Kaeden Hutchinson caught a 30 yard pass to the 19. Worth County nearly held on fourth and six, but a pass interference gave the Warriors new life at the seven, and Floyd scored with 7:59 left from one yard out. Hutchinson caught the two points to make it 52-42.
Worth County got the score right back as they covered the ensuing onsides kick. Aydan Gladstone’s eight yard run made it first and 10 at the 33, and then two plays later, a 23 yard burst by Andrew Alarcon and a horsecollar put the ball on the three. Alex Rinehart ran it in and Aydan Gladstone added the extra points to put Worth County up 60-42 with 6:25 left.
On Albany’s first play from scrimmage, Austin Welch stripped one of Albany’s backs and the Tigers got the ball right back on the 16. They only needed two plays to get into the end zone as Reed McIntyre caught a pass for 12 and Andrew Alarcon took it the remaining four yards with 5:57 left. Worth County scored its third touchdown in 38 seconds after Alex Rinehart beat everyone to a loose carom at the 21. Andrew Alarcon bounced it outside for a score and Alex Rinehart got the extra points after a block from Reed McIntyre to put Worth County up 76-42 with 5:57 left in the third.
Albany went three and out on its next series, and Alex Rinehart got a good runback to the Tiger 36 to set up Worth County’s final score. Alex Rinehart took a sweep for 16 and a late hit put it first and goal at the ten. Three plays later, Aydan Gladstone’s quarterback sneak from one yard out put the Tigers in the end zone with 2:43 left in the third to make it 82-42. After that, both coaches started subbing freely, and the rest of the game was played out by the reserves.
The game matched the biggest comeback in school history. The Tigers erased a 26-6 Fairfax lead in 1996, winning 34-32 on quarterback Ben Fletcher’s one yard sneak as time expired in Fairfax. In 2016, the Tigers erased an 18 point deficit at Stanberry and won 44-42.
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