Friday, September 17, 2021

Creed Wilcox Blasts Big Holes as Tigers Run Away From Warriors

Lineman Creed Wilcox was blasting holes right and left against Albany, knocking down green shirts all night long and the Tiger backs took full advantage of the holes from him and the rest of the line as they ran away with an 84-28 win over the Warriors. Alex Rinehart ran back the opening kickoff to the Warrior 39, getting a block from Dawson Vore. A false start set the Tigers back to their own 36, but then the play of the game happened next. Levi Cassavaugh took a counter play and lineman Creed Wilcox knocked down two green shirts, which cleared the way for Levi to get a 44 yard score just 17 seconds into the game. That set the tone for the rest of the game.

Jackson Runde knocked down Quincy Stamper for a loss and a false start set the Warriors back to the 8. Two scrambles by Albany quarterback Kemper Cline only got to the 16 and the Warriors were forced to punt. Alex Rinehart fielded the punt, got a block from Jackson Runde, and returned it into Warrior territory at the 36. Rinehart only picked up two yards on his first try, and a false start set the Tigers back to the 39. But then Alex Rinehart got a block from Auston Pride and broke into the clear, scoring from 39 yards out with 9:50 left. Aydan Gladstone scrambled into the end zone to make it 14-0.

A holding penalty on the kickoff buried Albany at the 13, but then the Warriors marched right down the field as an option play from Kemper Cline to Quincy Stamper took the Warriors 28 yards to the Tiger 37. Worth County gambled and missed on a pick try, and Porter Davis turned a short pass into a big gain down to the 9. Worth County tried to make a stand, but then Cline dove into the end zone with 7:47 left. Jackson Runde dropped Cline just short of the end zone to keep it at 14-6.

Worth County started at their own 33 and Aydan Gladstone took a keeper 11 yards to the 36 and then delivered a big hit at the end of the run. Alex Rinehart got a block from Creed Wilcox and got eight yards to the 28, Levi Cassavaugh picked up four more to the 24, and a late hit put the Tigers on the eight. Cassavaugh was dropped for a loss of two. A bad snap was picked up by Aydan Gladstone well behind the line of scrimmage with the green shirts in full pursuit. Aydan was running for his life, but somehow found Alex Rinehart in the end zone; he made a leaping catch for a score with 5:23 left. Aydan Gladstone ran in the extra points to make it 22-6.

The Tigers seemingly had the Warriors bottled up on third and 10, but jumped offsides, which meant a much more manageable down and distance on their own 30 at fourth and five. Cline then scrambled 22 yards to the 28 as Albany elected to go for it rather than put the ball in the hands of Rinehart. Worth County made a stand at the 21, forcing a fourth and three, but then everybody got blown back and Cline picked up nine to the 12. Stamper lost one to the 13, but then Cline dragged a bunch of defenders into the end zone for a score with 2:28 left in the first. But Dawson Vore batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage to keep Worth County ahead two possessions at 22-12.

The Warriors were giving the Tigers fits early, as they couldn't figure out who was carrying the ball and Kemper Cline, who nearly led the Warriors back against the Tigers last year, was getting into the open.

All the momentum seemed to be swinging in Albany's favor after the ensuing kickoff was mishandled and the Tigers were buried on their own 9. But then Creed Wilcox was a wrecking ball again on the offensive line, kicking out a defender, and that sprung Alex Rinehart 71 yards to the house with 2:06 left in the first. Dylan McIntyre caught the extra point pass to make it 30-12.

This was the play which seemed to swing the momentum in Worth County's favor. Stamper caught a tipped pass for a first down at the Warrior 37, but the Tigers flushed Cline from the pocket and forced an incompletion and dropped him after a two yard game at the 39. Jackson Runde hurried Cline into an incompletion and then blew up a screen pass to give the Tigers the ball back on downs at the Warrior 39. It just took Worth County one play to get into the end zone as Aydan Gladstone threw a strike to Dylan McIntyre, who was all alone and took it to the house with 34.2 seconds left in the first. McIntyre also caught the extra point pass to make it 38-12.

Stamper met Aydan Gladstone and Jace Latham for no gain, Alex Rinehart broke up a pass, and another incompletion set up fourth and 10 at the Warrior 25. Worth County went for the punt block, but got there too late and picked up a roughing the kicker penalty, forcing them to stop Albany all over again. They did so as three Warrior running plays only netted five yards and Jackson Runde stopped Cline on fourth and five at the Tiger 35 to give Worth County the ball back on downs. On third and two at the Warrior 37, Alex Rinehart dragged four Warrior defenders to the 25 to get the first down and then got a block from Auston Pride and took it to the house on the next play to put the Tigers on the board again with 8:01 left. Aydan Gladstone got loose and blasted a Warrior defender as he got in for the extra points to make it 46-12.

Nate Doolittle met a swarm of Tiger defenders, including Dawson Vore, Alex Rinehart, and Tanner Ridge, Stamper was met by Jackson Runde for no gain, and Vore batted down a pass to force a three and out. Once again, Creed Wilcox was a wrecking ball for the Tigers and once again, Alex Rinehart took it to the house, this time from 68 yards to go over the 200 yard mark and put the Tigers up 52-12 with 6:09 left in the half.

Worth County set up at their own 20, and this time took to the air as Aydan Gladstone faked two handoffs, then aired it out to Dylan McIntyre for 60 yards with 4:37 left to put Worth County over the 45 point margin at 58-12.

Dawson Vore got a strip and a fumble recovery, and Worth County added on another score before the half as Alex Rinehart ripped off 23 yards and Levi Cassavaugh took it nine yards to the house with 3:37 left to make it 64-12. That put Worth County over the 400 yard mark. Albany tried to kill the 45 point margin, and Kemper Cline converted a fourth and one sneak to the Warrior 38. But the Tiger defense stiffened as Albany tried to establish Stamper without avail. Finally, on fourth and seven, the Tigers flushed Cline and forced an incompletion and knelt down to end the half.

Worth County had 431 yards on just 18 plays, over 20 yards per carry, while Albany, after keeping up with the Tigers in the first quarter, was held to less than 30 yards in the second and had 44 plays for 160 yards. Rinehart wound up with 248 yards on just nine carries.

Albany elected to play on for the second half, but they fumbled twice, and Tanner Ridge pounced on the second one at the Tiger 26. Three plays later, Aydan Gladstone threw a 25 yard strike on the same double play action pass that worked before to Dylan McIntyre, putting him over the 100 yard mark with 124 receiving yards. That put the Tigers up 70-12, and both coaches subbed freely the rest of the way.

Albany may have found a new ball carrier in Zavien Dierenfeldt, as Worth County's reserves had a hard time bringing him down as he carried the ball seven times for 61 yards and a Warrior score with 4:01 left in the third. Jody King caught the extra point pass from Chase Cline to make it 70-20.

The younger Tiger squad struck back as Braxton Hightshoe muscled his way for a first down at the Warrior 39 on fourth and three, and then threw a strike to Jackson Smith for 39 yards to the house with 44 seconds left in the third to make it 76-20 and put the Tigers over the 500 yard mark. 

Dierenfeldt carried the Warriors on his back down to the Tiger 17 on the next series, but then Jackson Smith pounced on a fumble to kill the drive. Braxton Hightshoe ripped off 35 yards to the Warrior 25 to set up the Tigers again. Tanner Ridge tried his hand on the offensive line and found the position to his liking, as he pushed defenders out of the way as the Tiger backs continue to gain yardage. Tyler New ripped off six, Landon Wilmes seven, and Tyler New 11 yards down to the 1. Landon Wilmes was stopped short of the goal line, but Tyler New muscled his way in on the next play and threw a strike on the extra point pass to John Galanakis to make it 84-20.

Dierenfeldt got loose again for 11 and 19 on the next Warrior series to get over the 100 yard mark for Albany and Jody King took it to the house from 18 yards out with 2:40 left; Dierenfeldt ran in the extra points to make it 84-28. Tyler New was buried for a loss of two at the 13, but then threw a strike to John Galanakis for 11 and then converted a fourth and one as he muscled his way for 11 yards to the 35, allowing the Tigers to kill the clock.

Worth County outgained Albany 585 to 307, nearly double Albany's total. Alex Rinehart had 9 carries for 248 yards, Levi Cassavaugh 6 carries for 57, and Braxton Hightshoe three carries for 47. Worth County rushed for a total of 402. Aydan Gladstone threw for another 134 yards, and Dylan McIntyre caught three passes for 124 yards. For Albany, Dierenfeldt had 14 carries for 119 yards, Kemper Cline 10 carries for 64 yards, and Quincy Stamper 17 carries for 48 yards. 

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