Worth County fell behind 30-6, but then set a school record for the biggest comeback in school history as they erased the deficit in the second half and came back to win 54-42 Friday over Doniphan West. The Tigers had previously erased 20 point deficits against Fairfax in 1996 and Albany last year. They also erased an 18 point deficit against Stanberry in 2016.
The game was a replacement for Santa Fe, which canceled the game Wednesday. Doniphan West, which didn’t get a game in during the first week, agreed to come to Worth County at the last minute.
Worth County had every right to expect a good game; the Mustangs only had two seniors listed on the roster, and they were streaky; they had started off 0-4 last year, but then ripped off four wins in their last five games to finish at 4-5. The hope was that Worth County would catch them at the right time, before they got going this year.
Worth County started off with a promising drive as Andrew Alarcon ripped off gains of 13 and 6. But then a long run was wiped out by a holding penalty, and then a sack gave the ball back to the Mustangs at the Tiger 26. Worth County nearly held on downs despite the short field, but then prize quarterback Trent Spiker, on fourth and nine, took it to the house with 6:56 left in the first quarter and ran in the extra points to go up 8-0.
The Tigers got on the board when Andrew Alarcon got a big hole up the middle and took it to the house from 45 yards out to make it 8-6. Worth County got a gift when a holding penalty wiped out a long runback from Doniphan West, but it didn’t matter as Spiker struck again, this time from 71 yards out and Kole Franken ran in the extra points to make it 16-6.
Worth County continued to struggle offensively, taking too much time to get the play off; they went three and out. Doniphan West started at their own 37 and Spiker aired it out to Lafe Blevins for 37 yards to the 6. Three plays later, Spiker scrambled for a touchdown with 11:53 left in the second quarter to make it 22-6.
Andrew Alarcon picked up an 18 yard run to the 37 on Worth County’s next series, but a holding penalty wiped out a first down run and a sack on fourth down gave Doniphan West back the ball on the Worth County 34. An option play to Hunter Smith picked up 14 yards to the 20, and then Spiker aired it out to Blevins again two plays later, and a pass to Creighton Johnson caught the extra point pass to make it 30-6 with 8:48 left.
A block in the back buried Worth County on their own 8, but a good kick from Jackson Runde buried Doniphan West on their own 11. Worth County had a golden opportunity to score when Andrew Alarcon stripped one of the Mustang backs of the ball and recovered it on the 11. But Worth County could not take advantage and gave the ball back on downs. Doniphan West had a chance to add to their lead before half, but a bad snap stopped them. Dylan McIntyre got loose on Worth County’s last play of the half. However, he was tackled at the 10 as time expired.
The second half of the game started off completely differently for Worth County as they recovered a successful onsides kick to start the half. On third and four at the 31, Braxton Hightshoe, who emerged as the starting quarterback in the game, bounced outside for seven for a first down to the 24. Andrew Alarcon picked up 12 yards, getting a hole on the left side. An equipment penalty set the Tigers back to the 17, but Andrew Alarcon got the yardage back to the 12. On the next play, Hightshoe took a keeper down the right side on a play that fooled everybody and he trotted in for a score with 9:05 left. Andrew Alarcon ran in the extra points to make it 30-14.
Doniphan West tried to establish Kole Franken, giving it to him on four straight carries, but a fumble set them back second and 15 on the Tiger 36. They gave it to Spiker who seemingly got loose for another score, bouncing to the outside. But Dylan McIntyre made a perfect one on one tackle at the 26 to save the touchdown. Another crack by Franken ran into a blitzing Jackson Runde, and Andrew Alarcon covered a long pass attempt perfectly to give back the ball to the Tigers on downs at the 26.
Worth County only needed one play to get on the board again as Braxton Hightshoe threw a perfect play action pass to Dylan McIntyre, who beat Spiker down the field and caught a 54 yard strike with 5:20 left. Andrew Alarcon moved a pile into the end zone to make it 30-22.
Hunter Smith nearly broke one, but Andrew Alarcon saved a touchdown with his tackle. Now, it was Doniphan West who was taking too much time to get to the line of scrimmage, and an incomplete pass and a busted play forced them to punt.
Worth County got the ball back on the 26, and Andrew Alarcon got blocks from Auston Pride and Austin Welch for 11 yards to the 37, and shot up the middle for nine more to the 34. He then drove back two defenders for five yards, getting 13 more to the 21. An incomplete pass temporarily halted the drive, but then Andrew Alarcon took on three defenders for a 17 yard gain to the 4, and then shot through a big hole up the middle for the score and ran in the extra points to tie it up.
Doniphan West got the lead back when Spiker threw a swing pass to Hunter Smith coming out of the backfield to put the Mustangs back up 36-30, but then Levi Cassavaugh ran back the ensuing kickoff to the Doniphan West 32. Andrew Alarcon picked up five to the 27, and then Braxton Hightshoe bounced outside, broke Spiker’s attempted tackle, and scored with 10:59 left. Andrew Alarcon followed a big line surge up the middle to score again to make it 38-36 for the extra points.
The ensuing kick caromed off a white shirt to Blevins, who slipped and fell at the 18. Franken picked up three yards and Spiker broke a host of tackles to the 37 before Andrew Alarcon saved a touchdown. They attempted to option to Smith, but Dylan Vore blew it up, and then Smith ran into a wall of black shirts. Spiker aired it out to Blevins, but he caught it out of bounds, and then another incomplete pass gave the ball back to the Tigers on downs at the Doniphan West 34.
Worth County only needed one play to get back on the board again as Andrew Alarcon ran over a defender and got in the end zone. On the extra point try, he bounced outside and got a block from Nate Adwell to make it two scores at 46-36.
Spiker scrambled to the 40 to set up a threat. They tried a spread draw, but then Vore dropped Spiker for a loss of four.
They tried to air it out after a bad snap and Spiker tried unsuccessfully to scramble, but Andrew Alarcon picked it off at the Tiger 30. He dragged a defender 5 yards for eight yards to the 38, and then shot through traffic for another score from 42 yards out with 6:01 left. On the extra point try, the handoff was bobbled, but Andrew Alarcon secured the ball and forced his way in to make it 54-36.
Doniphan West finally got back in the end zone with 1:02 left as Spiker completed one to Blevins from 21 to make it 54-42, but Worth County covered the ensuing onsides kick and was able to kneel down to run out the clock.
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