Saturday, October 19, 2019

Tigers Continue Slide Against North Andrew

Worth County continued their slide, falling 86-46 to North Andrew despite finally returning home after a long hiatus. They had built up a 5-1 record on talent, but over the last two games, their youth and inexperience (two seniors) compared to other top teams has gotten exposed. They got Austin Welch back, but lost Andrew Alarcon for the year (ACL). By contrast, Pattonsburg has eight seniors on their roster, while North Andrew came into Friday’s game with ten seniors.

What started out promising for Worth County turned into a nightmare. They got the ball to start off the game with. They operated with no huddle, allowing them a lot more time to get plays off, and marched right down the field to score on a pass from Aydan Gladstone to Reed McIntyre with 10:09 left.

It looked even better when Jaxon Anderson recovered a fumble at the North Andrew 30. But then everything started to go from bad to worse from there, started by a two yard loss and then a block in the back. That led to a blocked punt recovered by North Andrew on the Tiger 25, and they took it right in and scored on their first play when Carson Thomas scored with 8:15 left. Alex Rinehart broke up the extra point pass to keep it tied at 6-6.

The teams exchanged punts, and then Worth County was stopped on fourth and five at the Cardinal 34. From there on out, North Andrew unleashed a blitzing defense that Worth County could not solve for the rest of the night. They bunched six men up near the line of scrimmage, always sent more people in to rush than Worth County had people to block them with, and always had people loose to make the tackles.

Offensively, North Andrew ran and used Jaden Baker to throw long passes when the Tigers sold out too much to stop the run. They aired one out to Clayton Linville for 46 yards with 1:38 left in the first. Baker ran in the extra points to make it 14-6. Worth County fumbled the kickoff right back to North Andrew and the Cardinals took full advantage when Jaden Baker scored from 5 yards out with 54.8 seconds left to make it 20-6. Aydan Gladstone broke up the extra point pass.

An 11 yard option run by Alex Rinehart and a 13 yard keeper by Aydan Gladstone put the ball on the 23, but he was denied on a sneak. But Justin Dye dropped Baker for a loss of two back to the 30 on the ensuing series on fourth and one, and Worth County took advantage of the short field. A Roughing the Passer call put it on the 15, and Aydan Gladstone dove for the pylon and got in with 8:45 left. He ran in the extra points to cut Worth County’s deficit to 20-14.

But every time Worth County looked like they would finally get some momentum, they had a breakdown that would hand it right back to North Andrew. One such breakdown happened on the next play when nobody covered McKinley Lillard and he was all alone for a 57 yard touchdown strike with 8:28 left. Jaden Baker ran in the extra points to make it 28-14.

Worth County was faced with third and one at their own 37, tried twice for the first down, and didn’t make it. It took just two plays for North Andrew to take advantage as they struck again as Coby Ethridge scored from 25 yards out to make it 36-14 after Ethridge’s run with 6:45 left.

Aydan Gladstone aired out a 58 yard strike to Alex Rinehart to put the ball on the two, but then confusion broke out, nobody knew what they were supposed to be doing, and the red shirts swarmed all over the ball as they were denied. North Andrew marched right down the field and a 43 yard run from Brayden Brincks set up Jaden Baker’s six yard score with 2:47 left. Keenan Shunk caught the extra point pass, and frustration set in with players walking off the field and bickering.

The Tigers recovered to score right before halftime, as consecutive passes to Reed McIntyre of 8 and 11 yards and a 33 yard scamper from Aydan Gladstone put the ball on the one. Worth County ran a quarterback sneak and Gladstone bounced outside to get in with 10.5 seconds left, and Alex Rinehart caught the extra point pass to make it 44-22.

Worth County had every right to expect momentum coming out of the gate in the third quarter, but promptly give up a big play, a 35 yard score from Brayden Brincks with 9:30 left to make it 52-22. North Andrew recovered a fumble right off the bat and were backed up fourth and five at the Tiger 38. But then the tackling broke down and Baker picked up a first down at the 32, and then nobody guarded Keenan Shunk, who took a 32 yard strike from Baker and was all alone for the score with 7:29 left.

Aydan Gladstone was picked off on the Cardinal 25, and North Andrew took advantage of a Defensive Holding penalty and passes to Caden Patterson and Keaton Hannah to march down to the 13. Jaden Baker took it to the house from there with 3:54 left in the third quarter and Patterson ran in the extra points to make it 66-22.

Jaxon Anderson ran back the ensuing kickoff to the Cardinal 39, and that set up Worth County’s next score. Anderson’s 10 yard pass put it on the 24, and Alex Rinehart’s catch and run with 3:02 left in the third and Aydan Gladstone’s extra point run made it 66-30.

Just as it looked like Worth County would get momentum back, disaster struck again. Reed McIntyre got a big hit to pin North Andrew on its own 13, only for the Cardinals to pick up a first down; then, Baker took it to the house from 53 yards and ran in the extra points to make it 74-30 again.

Alex Rinehart hurdled a defender with 11:51 and scored from 17 yards out and Reed McIntyre scored the extra point pass. But then Brayden Brincks countered with a 62 yard sweep and then the teams turned it over to their reserves. Colt Cameron ripped off a 50 yard scamper for the Tigers and Levi Cassavaugh had runs of 45 and 8 yards.

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