Worth County started off the season on a winning note as Alex Rinehart picked up 205 yards on 23 carries and the Tigers came away with a 50-22 win over South Holt. Aydan Gladstone ran for 100 more and threw for 78.
Rinehart ripped off gains of 13, 12, 10, and 16, dragging a defender into the end zone for Worth County’s first score with 9:15 left. He added an extra point pass from Aydan Gladstone to put the Tigers up 8-0.
South Holt, which previously had a football cooperative with Nodaway-Holt, came out picking up yards on the ground behind the running of Brody Scroggins. Worth County knew what was coming, and it didn’t matter, as Scroggins and the Knights marched steadily into Tiger territory until the Tigers recovered a fumble on their own 34. The Tigers showed that they are one of the most opportunistic teams in the league this year, as they recovered five Knight turnovers.
Worth County took full advantage a few plays later. South Holt was completely selling out to stop Alex Rinehart, but a fake to Alex and a keeper by Aydan Gladstone fooled everyone as Aydan took it 43 yards to the house with 5:47 left and Dylan McIntyre caught the extra points to make it 16-0.
With Worth County trying to stop Scroggins, that left things open for a 34 yard screen pass to Gannon Phelan and a Scroggins run to cut it in half at 16-8 with 2:30 left. But Worth County killed any momentum that South Holt might have had as Levi Cassavaugh ran back the ensuing kickoff and Aydan Gladstone ran in the extra points to make it 24-8.
The Tigers had a golden opportunity to tack on more points as the ensuing kickoff hit Scroggins and the Tigers pounced on it, but they gave it back on downs following a botched screen pass. A late hit following a long run from Phelan, one of many costly penalties from the Tigers, set up the Knights on the Tiger 12. The biggest area in need of improvement for the Tigers is the penalties; they were whistled for 15 that night.
South Holt got as far as the Tiger 1, but then the Tigers made a goal line stand, denying the Knights on four straight tries into the end zone. They gave it away on a bad snap on fourth down at the Tiger 13 on their next possession, but then Alex Rinehart forced a fumble and Tanner Ridge recovered to kill the threat.
Dylan McIntyre caught a 40 yard pass as time was winding down in the first half to put the Tigers into Knights territory. They nearly killed the drive with a holding penalty and two false starts, but long passes from Aydan Gladstone to Alex Rinehart of 30 and 28 yards overcame the miscues and the second pass put the Tigers in the end zone with 24 seconds left. Rinehart caught the extra point pass to put the Tigers in front 32-8 at the half.
The second half started off well for South Holt, as they drove deep into Tiger territory to start the third quarter. Aydan Gladstone picked off a Knights pass at the 5, but a botched screen resulted in a safety with 6:52 left to bring the Knights to within 32-10.
The Knights threatened again, getting as far as the Tigers 12, and two costly penalties, a pass interference and a late hit put the ball on the three after the Tigers had forced fourth and five. That set up Phelan’s touchdown with one minute left in the third to make it 32-16.
Alex Rinehart ripped off a 27 yard gain on the next series to bring it to the Knights 18. A block in the back penalty nearly derailed the drive, but Rinehart picked up 16 more to the 10. They drove down to the three before a false start set them back to the 9. Finally, Aydan Gladstone pump faked and dropped it perfectly over the defender for a score to Jackson Runde with 10:15 left to make it 38-16.
South Holt threatened again, getting as far as the Tiger 22, but this time, Grant McIntyre intercepted a wounded duck at the 11 to kill the drive. Two plays later, Alex Rinehart was off to the races for 66 yards after getting a block from Creed Wilcox to put the Tigers up 44-16 with 6:23 left.
The Knights tried to go for it on fourth and five at their own 27, but an incomplete pass gave the Tigers a short field to work with, and Aydan Gladstone broke a tackle and ripped off 25 yards down to the 2. He then dove into the end zone for a score with 3:51 left to make it 50-16. A long run from Phelan set up South Holt’s final score as Scroggins caught a pass with 1:08 left to cut it to 50-22 before Worth County ran out the clock for the win.
The Tigers host St. Joseph Christian Friday.
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