Friday, September 22, 2023

Tigers Shut Down Potent Lions Squad 70-0

Worth County looked like they would fall into a trap game when St. Joseph Christian recovered the opening kickoff, having beaten Albany and having Stanberry next week. But they treated it as a wakeup call, and it was Tigers all the way, getting their second straight halftime win, 70-0 over the Lions.

Christian had been showing a lot of improvement this year, giving Albany and North Andrew all they could handle. The surprise onsides kick gave the Lions the ball at the Tiger 38 with a golden opportunity to get a jump on the Tigers. But the Tigers treated that play as a wakeup call; Lion quarterback Levi Miller came under a heavy rush by Elias Alarcon, tried to dump it off to Cy Carlson, but then Bo Collins dropped him for a loss of 14. Collins then sacked Miller at the 20, and the Lions were forced to punt. Worth County started at their own 32, and they only needed one play to get on track and Tyler New aired it out to Grant McIntyre for a 48 yard strike. Grant caught the extra point pass to make it 8-0 with 9:57 left.

The Lions have been one of the more versatile teams in the area, able to air it out like Pattonsburg and able to do a power running game like North Andrew. This has made them a tough team to prepare for. But it didn't matter Friday night against Worth County. Two runs got nowhere after they started at their own 26, but they went to their spread formation and Miller completed passes to Cy Carlson for seven and for four to Logan Hubble for a first down to the Lion 36. But a fumbled snap, an incomplete pass, and pass breakups from Tyler New and Landon Wilmes gave the Tigers the ball back on downs with a short field at the Panther 33. Once again, they only needed one play to score as they lined up their power formation to the left. Tyler New reversed his field down the right side and took it to the house with 7:53 left. He also ran in the extra points to make it 16-0.

Christian went three and out and Bo Collins nearly blocked the ensuing punt and Ty New returned it to the Lion 14. Landon Wilmes picked up seven to the seven and then Tyler New took it the rest of the way to make it 22-0 with 5:31 left in the first quarter.

Worth County kicked the ball into the end zone and a shovel pass to Peyton Hausman picked up four for the Lions to the 19. But then Levi Miller was dropped for a loss by Bo Collins and Kolten Smith forced a quarterback hurry and an incomplete pass, and the Lions were forced to punt. A shanked punt gave the Tigers a short field at the Lion 26, and a false start, a bad snap, and an incomplete pass gave the Tigers third and 15 at the 31. But a screen pass to Landon Wilmes worked as he got blocks from Elias Alarcon and Carter Chapman down to the 12. Landon Wilmes took it to the right side and all of a sudden accelerated for a score with 2:37 left in the first. Bo Collins scored the extra point pass to make it 30-0.

Ethan Lininger pinned the Lions deep at their own 8. They put Mason Stewart at quarterback. A draw by Stewart picked up nine to the 17, but a sweep by Carlson got nowhere, and he was driven back to the 14. Landon Wilmes broke up a pass on third down, but a short pass to Landyn Hansen picked up a first down to the 19 as Christian went for it on fourth and four at their own 14 and got it. But on the very next play, Kolten Smith got pressure and forced a pick, with Grant McIntyre picking it off at the Lion 21. Worth County lined up in its power formation, and then Tyler New aired it out to Grant McIntyre for a score. Brayden Stevens caught the extra point pass to make it 38-0 with 1:31 left in the first quarter.

A squib kick was covered by Christian at their own 34. Kolten Smith blew up a running play, the Lions threw an incomplete pass, and Elias Alarcon got a sack to set up fourth and 16 for the Lions at their 28. They lined up with Shaden Morris in their punt formation and tried a fake punt, but Bo Collins snuffed it out, tackling him at the Lion 37, short of the first down. Worth County faked the jet sweep to Landon Wilmes and took it straight down the middle with Tyler New, and he took it to the house as time expired in the first quarter. Landon Wilmes caught the extra point pass to make it 46-0.

The Lions started off the second quarter at their own 25 and a short pass from Miller to Carlson netted four. But then Tyler New drilled one of the Lion receivers for a pass breakup, a long pass went nowhere, and Grant McIntyre picked off a pass and returned it to the Lion 35. Lucas Frisch nearly caught a sensational diving catch in the end zone, but came up short. Bo Collins caught a 20 yard pass to the 15, Landon Wilmes took it 12 yards down to the three, and Lucas Frisch got a block from Elias Alarcon to the house with 10:44 left. A jump pass from Tyler New to Bo Collins caught the extra point pass to make it 52-0. 

Sawyer Thurman dropped the Lions on the 18, but the Lions found daylight on the ground, moving from the 18 to the 36. But then a quick hitter went nowhere, Kolten Smith dropped Carlson for a loss, the Lions picked up a false start, and then a pass breakup gave the ball back to the Tigers on downs at the Lions 30. Tyler New then aired it out to Landon Wilmes with 7:57 left in the second quarter and Landon ran in the extra points to make it 62-0.

The first string only ran 11 plays all night from scrimmage, with several of their drives only needing one play. In 2018, the Tigers only needed nine plays from scrimmage to record a halftime win over Albany. 

The Tigers forced another stop and then the second string came in for the Tigers. Consecutive holding penalties back them up to their own 9, but then Cole Ruby picked up 20 yards and then Hayden Sanders got a block from Cole Ruby for a 10 yard gain and a first down at the 40. Brayden Stevens caught a pass from Hayden Sanders for 20 yards to the 20. A fumble lost a yard, but a short pass to Karson Briner went nine yards to the 12 and Hayden Sanders got a block from Briner and took it to the house for the final score. Karson Briner caught the extra point pass to make it 70-0 with 1:53 left.

Worth County's second string defense was able to keep Christian out of the end zone, stopping them at the 20 as time expired.


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