Worth County had every reason to expect a long trip down and back this year. They were playing without Alex Rinehart (ACL), who had been the heart and soul of the team this season in addition to being one of the leading rushers in the state in eight man football this year. In addition, Drexel was the real deal; their quarterback, Jacob Coffey, was one of the most difficult men to bring down. King City was one of the best run defenses in the conference this year, and Coffey would be stood up for no gain, only to somehow carve out five yards every time. He had over 300 yards in Drexel’s 56-28 win over King City. Drexel was built on running and stopping the run; Parker Muff never got anything going against them.
But somehow, Worth County managed to give Drexel everything they wanted before they fell 48-42 Thursday at Faurot Field in Columbia. Rinehart’s replacements both stepped in and played well. Braxton Hightshoe, who had never played runningback before, stepped in and carried seven times for 65 yards and completed three halfback passes for 26 yards. On defense, Levi Cassavaugh stepped up and led the team in tackles with 14. And Worth County still had Aydan Gladstone, who threw for 157 yards and ran for 74 more. The result was a game in which both teams laid it all on the line and Worth County came up a little big short. It was close all the way, with neither team ever having a lead of more than one possession.
The Tigers came a long ways from the disappointing 5-5 squad of a year ago. Aydan Gladstone, who missed half the season last year with a broken ankle, relished every minute of the game, and had his timing down all year. The line stepped up, Creed Wilcox earned a starting role on the line, and Jace Latham emerged as a run stopper on defense. Jackson Runde was one of the leading tacklers on the team all year and finally got healthy in the last two games after his hip bothered him down the stretch.
The Tigers will lose a lot of seniors next year. Gone will be Rinehart, Gladstone, Runde, Jace Cousatte, Jackson Smith, Dawson Vore, Kodie Meyer, Dylan Wilmes, and Auston Pride. Braxton Hightshoe will return next year and will be a candidate to play quarterback, which he played last year when Gladstone was down. Tyler New will step up both offensively and defensively; he gained a lot of strength and muscle this year. Dylan McIntyre will return as a receiver. Tanner Ridge will return as a defensive end, and Latham will return on the defensive line. Creed Wilcox, who emerged as a force on the offensive line this year, will return. Jon Galanakis showed a lot of promise as another receiver in junior varsity action this year. Levi Cassavaugh will return as a blocking back, and emerged late as a dependable third receiving option for Gladstone. Grant McIntyre came close to breaking into the lineup before a knee injury sidelined him for a while; he runs hard and hits hard. Landon Wilmes showed a nose for the holes as a runningback.
The biggest challenge next year for the Tigers will be replacing the offensive line, which was a reliable asset for them all year. Auston Pride was a dependable center for the Tigers; one possibility might be Kolten Smith, who played that position in junior varsity. Dylan Wilmes will graduate as well. Jase Latham could move to the offensive line; at 300 pounds and mobile, he would be one of the biggest lineman Worth County has had at that position.
Worth County got the opening kickoff, started at their own 31, and only needed three plays to score. Gladstone passed to Jackson Runde for 9, picked up 6 more to the Drexel 34, and then Braxton Hightshoe took it to the house with 10:17 left to put the Tigers up 6-0.
But then Drexel wasted no time answering as Jacob Coffey ripped off carries for 11 and 20 and Cory Cumpton added another carry for 12. Finally, Coffey scored on a four yard run with 7:39 left to tie the game at 6.
Worth County threatened on its next possession as Gladstone picked up 13 yards to the Tiger 36 and then rushed for four more for a first down to the Drexel 31. But then a false start and a sack helped kill the drive and Worth County was forced to punt. Jackson Smith got off a good punt that was dead at the 2. Drexel got a couple of first downs, but then got a holding penalty to kill the drive and they were forced to punt as well. Worth County responded through the air as Gladstone threw strikes of 28 to Jackson Runde and 27 to Dylan McIntyre for a score with 10:23 left in the second. Braxton Hightshoe ran in the extra points to put Worth County up 14-6.
But Drexel only needed one play to answer as Jacob Coffey, who was moved from runningback to quarterback this year, showed he could move the ball with his arm as well as his legs. He aired one out to Cory Cumpton for 47 yards with 10:15 left to cut Worth County’s lead to 14-12.
Worth County moved the ball right back down the field again after starting at their own 34. A pass from Gladstone to Hightshoe picked up a first down to the Drexel 31, then Hightshoe ran for 14 yards to the Drexel 17. They were faced with third and five at the Drexel 12, but then pulled off some trickery as Braxton Hightshoe successfully completed a halfback pass to Aydan Gladstone for the score with 6:22 left. Hightshoe was tackled short of the goal line on the extra point try and Worth County’s lead was still one possession at 20-12.
A long kickoff return set up Drexel’s next score as Cory Compton ran back the kickoff to their own 39. They only needed three plays to take advantage as Jacob Coffey completed a 39 yard pass to Cory Cumpton for a score with 4:45 left. Coffey ran in the extra points to make it 20-20.
Disaster threatened to strike after Gladstone was picked off by Trevor Ward at the 37 and returned it to the Tiger 33. Coffey converted a pass for eight yards to Billy Lau to the 18, and then they overcame a fumble with a 19 yard rush by Coffey to the Worth County 5. On the next play, Coffey took it to the house with 1:02 left to make it 26-20. But then Levi Cassavaugh ran back the ensuing kickoff 68 yards to the house with 51 seconds left and Aydan Gladstone completed the ensuing pass to Jackson Runde to put Worth County back up 28-26.
There were 46 seconds left to play in the half, but there were still plenty of fireworks. Once again, Jacob Coffey aired one out to Billy Lau, this time for 41 yards to the Worth County 9. But Worth County made a goal line stand as there was an incomplete pass and Braxton Hightshoe tackled Cory Cumpton for no gain. An offsides penalty put the ball on the four; however, a holding penalty on Drexel put it back to the 17. A rush from Coffey only netted 5 yards to the 12, and then Levi Cassavaugh and Dawson Vore sacked Coffey to end the threat as Worth County kept the lead going into halftime.
But it was Drexel’s ball to start the second half, and they fed Coffey to start things off. Worth County knew what the play was going to be, and it didn’t matter, as Coffey carried Drexel from their own 34 to the Tiger 12. They were faced with fourth and one at the Tiger 3, but then Cory Cumpton took it the rest of the way to make it 34-28.
Drexel tried to take control of the game with an onside kick, but Worth County recovered it in good field position at their own 39. They took advantage as Braxton Hightshoe completed another halfback pass to Gladstone for 12 yards to the Drexel 29. Gladstone completed a pass to Jackson Runde for 9 yards to the 14, and then ran for 13 more to the 1 to convert a third and 10. Two plays later, he was in the end zone and completed an extra point pass to Dylan McIntyre with 4:00 left in the third to put Worth County back in front 36-34.
Drexel went back to Coffey again, and he converted a third and four for six yards to the 40. Dayringer got another first down for 11 yards to the Tiger 29, and then Coffey rushed for 18 to the Tiger 11. Worth County nearly stopped Drexel on that series, setting up a fourth and three at the Tiger 4. But then Coffey took it the rest of the way with two seconds left in the third quarter, and ran in the extra points to put Drexel up 42-36.
Once again, Drexel tried the onsides kick, but once again, Worth County covered it up to start in good field position at their own 39. They used the short field to their advantage as Gladstone picked up 9 yards for a first down to the 29, and then aired it out to Dylan McIntyre for the score with 11:01 left to make it 42-42.
But Drexel ran back a short kickoff to the 39 and got good field position of their own. The penalty bug, which hurt the Tigers to the tune of 15 penalties at South Holt in the first game of the year, came back to bite them at the worst possible time as a pass interference put it on the Tiger 26 after the Tigers had forced third and 10, and a roughing the passer put the ball on the 11. Coffey ripped off gains of 5 and 6 yards to put Drexel back on top 48-42 with 8:10 left.
Worth County was faced with fourth and 11 at their own 28 and elected to go for it rather than put the ball back into the hands of Coffey. They tried a reverse pass from Jackson Smith to Aydan Gladstone, but it was incomplete and Drexel had a golden opportunity to go up two scores. But on their second play from scrimmage, Braxton Hightshoe picked off Coffey and ran it back 15 yards to the Tiger 25 with 5:22 left and the Tigers still had a chance.
Worth County elected to take as much time off the clock while moving down the field, to leave Drexel with as little time as possible. Braxton Hightshoe picked up 10 yards to the 37 for one first down. Worth County was stick with fourth and one at the Drexel 34, but then Aydan Gladstone converted the first down to the 33 and the drive remained alive. It was the second time in two weeks that Gladstone had converted a fourth and one in the fourth quarter; he did so against North Shelby as well.
Worth County was set back by a personal foul penalty all the way back to the Tiger 30, which wiped out a 17 yard Gladstone run. A reverse pass from McIntyre went incomplete, but on third down, Gladstone aired out and completed a 36 yard pass to Jackson Runde to give the Tigers the first down at the Drexel 14. But then Gladstone’s next pass was intercepted at the 2, and Drexel was able to run out the clock for the state title.
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