Worth County's Junior Squad put up a gallant effort against Bedford, but the combination of Brantly Nally and Nolan Drake proved to be too much for them in the championship round as they fell to the Bulldogs 26-15 Saturday. Nonetheless, they were able to look back and realize that they had a good season.
Nally and the Bulldogs overcame a holding penalty to get into the end zone in the first quarter before Jordan Dannar ripped off a 49 yard run to put the Tigers up 8-7 after the extra point pass. But then Nally and the Bulldogs threatened to snowball the game after a defensive lapse left Nolan Drake wide open for a catch and run to make it 20-8 with 2:24 left in the first half.
Nally was a force behind the helm for Bedford; only in fourth grade, he was a constant threat to run or pass, while Drake was a difficult man to bring down. Things threatened to go from bad to worse late in the half when Bedford threatened. But then Jordan Dannar got a pick at the Tiger 15 to kill the drive, and the Tigers were still in the game at the half.
An early interception by Worth County gave Bedford a short field to work with and another chance to make it three possessions. But Dannar’s pick totally changed the mindset of the Tiger defense; they started believing they could stop Nally and the Bulldogs. A pass to J.D. Musich put it on the 18, but then Jeric Bernacchi stopped Drake for a loss, Worth County forced an incompletion, and then Nally was stopped two yards short of the sticks for fourth and two at the 10. Once again, Bernacchi rose to the occasion, dropping Drake for no gain, giving the Tigers the ball back on downs at the 10.
Worth County started finding daylight, getting as far as their own 37, including a 10 yard run from Brock Healy against nine Bedford players. But then they fumbled it, and once again they had to make a stand. A 17 yard scramble by Nally put the ball on the 10, but once again Worth County made a stand. First, there was an incomplete pass, and then Jace Burns put a big hit on Nally that left him shaken up at the 8. Bentin Roberts blew up a short pass to Drake as they tried unsuccessfully to isolate him on a smaller defender, and then Burns dropped Nally again at the 10 to give the ball back to the Tigers on downs.
Bentin Roberts lost two yards to the eight on the next play, but then picked up 11 to the 19 on the next. Brock Healy ripped off 9 yards and then completed a short pass to Jordan Dannar on the right side. He reversed his field to the left and picked up 16 to the Bedford 36. Brock Healy picked up five more to the 31. From there, Bentin Roberts carried the Tigers on his shoulders, helped by the blocking of Jordan Dannar; he picked up 10 to the 21, and then took the rest to the house with 8:52 left. He ran in the extra point to make it 20-15.
But then Bedford answered with the backbreaker, as Nolan Drake ripped off 11 yards to the 36, and then Brantly Nally carried the team on his shoulders the rest of the way. He ripped off 21 yards to the Tiger 23, rescued a third and seven with an 8 yard run to the 12, and then took it to the house with 3:35 left in the game.
Worth County tried to answer as Brock Healy picked up nine yards and then Wyatt Scadden caught a 19 yard pass to the 27. Bentin Roberts picked up five more to the 22. An offsides penalty wiped out a sack, but then Worth County could not take advantage as they got a holding penalty that killed the drive.
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