Worth County had every reason to expect a win against Stanberry; they had beaten them in the jamboree, they had played tougher against North Andrew than Stanberry did, and they were finally getting players back for the game. But after a promising start against the Bulldogs, Stanberry followed North Andrew’s lead by beating Worth County with big plays and beating them up and down the line of scrimmage. It all added up to a 44-14 loss Friday that dropped them to sixth in their district and a long road trip to Mound City Friday. The Panthers, who have fallen off from the last two years, nonetheless still have a formidable team this year at 6-3 and are still capable of making a run at a third straight title.
Stanberry took the opening kickoff and were beating Worth County off the line at will with Tucker Schieber and Austin Schwebach carrying the ball at will. When Jace Latham came in for the Tigers to anchor the defensive line, they stiffened up at the 13, and a sack by Jackson Runde, a block in the back, and a false start pushed Stanberry to their own 39. Schwebach scrambled his way to the 26, but another false start put it back on the 31. It didn’t matter, as the Tigers were burned by a big play again. Austin Schwebach threw a strike to Tyler Schwebach, who was unguarded and raced into the end zone with 6:18 to make it 6-0.
Worth County got it right back as they were faced with third and ten at the 26, but then Jackson Runde caught a perfectly executed screen pass and took it 54 yards to the house with 5:07 left. Andrew Alarcon ran in the extra points to make it 8-6.
Stanberry was done in by a false start on the next series and was forced to punt. Worth County was faced with third and 12 at their own 15, but a Roughing the Passer penalty gave them new life at the 30. They took advantage two plays later as Andrew Alarcon bounced it outside down the right sideline for a 49 yard score with 1:08 left to make it 14-6.
But once again, the big play did in the Tigers. Stanberry drove down to the Tiger 27, and this time, Austin Schwebach faked a handoff which fooled everyone and bounced outside. Nobody picked him up, and he was all alone for a 27 yard score. Tucker Schieber was stopped short with 10:37 left in the second as the Tigers preserved a 14-12 lead.
Worth County was forced to punt, and then Stanberry began taking control of the line of scrimmage. Worth County knew what the plays were going to be, either a dive by Tucker Schieber or a keeper by Austin Schwebach, and they still couldn’t stop it as Stanberry relentlessly drove down the field for a score with 4:43 left to take the lead. Schieber ran in the extra points to make it 20-14.
Worth County went three and out on its next possession, and they had every reason to play for a stop and good field position after a late hit on Stanberry that buried them on their own 13. It didn’t matter, as the big play burned the Tigers again; once again, Schwebach ran the fake handoff play, once again, nobody picked him up, and once again he took it to the house, this time from 55 yards out to put his team up 26-14 with 1:51 left.
The defenses took over for the rest of the first half and a big part of the third quarter, as neither side could get anything going offensively. Finally, Aydan Gladstone aired one out to Dylan McIntyre for 56 yards to the Stanberry 10, but Justin Dye received a painful knee injury on the play and was done for the game. Worth County couldn’t score, and on fourth and goal at the seven, they threw a short pass to Jackson Runde. Runde and Austin Schwebach battled for the ball, Schwebach stripped Runde, and was off to the races for a pick six that turned out to be the backbreaker for the Tigers. Gavin Cameron added the extra points to make it 34-14.
Things went from bad to worse as the Tigers got a good runback on the ensuing kickoff called all the way back to the seven by a targeting penalty by a player who wasn’t even part of the play. That led to a bad snap and a safety with 12 seconds left in the third to put Stanberry up 36-14.
Worth County stiffened up and stopped Stanberry at the 24 on the next play, but then the blocking broke down on the next series and they were forced to punt after getting a first down. Once again, Worth County knew what the play was going to be, and it didn’t matter as Stanberry relentlessly drove down the field, beating Worth County up and down the line of scrimmage and got into the end zone again with 5:25 left to make it 44-14.
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