Worth County won a critical GRC West matchup with King City and clinched a winning season, its 10th in 11 campaigns and its 31st in 33 tries with a 60-14 win over the Wildkats. King City had been in control of its own destiny despite a loss to St. Joseph Christian; a win by the Wildkats over Worth County would have given them a shot at clinching a share of the crown for itself Friday. A win by King City also would have secured a third place seed in districts and forced a trip by Worth County to Albany in the second week of districts. As it was, Worth County locked up the third seed in districts with its win.
The Tigers were hoping for lightning to strike twice and for Pattonsburg to pull off an improbable win over conference leader Albany, but the Warriors hung on for a 78-74 win over Pattonsburg, meaning they are still unbeaten in conference play. Worth County must beat Princeton Friday and hope that King City bounces back and beats Albany in order to clinch a share of the conference title.
King City kicked off to start the game and Lucas Frisch returned the ball up to the 39. Landon Wilmes got a block from Jude Archer and picked up 10 to the 31, and then Landon Wilmes picked up two more to the 29. On the next play, Jude Archer lined up in the Wildcat formation, got a block from Landon Wilmes, and took it to the house with 10:41 left to make it 6-0.
But on the ensuing kickoff, King City set up a wall of blockers to the right side and Ryder Sample waited patiently, then burst through the hole to the Tiger 36. Ethan Lininger forced a quarterback hurry, but then King City began creating problems for Worth County by going up-tempo and mixing short passes with runs from Graham Metzger down to the Tiger 4. King City had been searching for a quarterback for the last two seasons, but finally found one in Landon Carlson, a freshman, who is one of the reasons why King City is one of the most improved teams in the conference this year. But at the Tiger four, Ethan Lininger dropped Carlson for a loss, then Sawyer Thurman and Lucas Frisch combined on a sack to set up fourth and goal at the six. Hayden Sanders broke up the ensuing pass to give the Tigers the ball back on downs.
Three running plays by the Tigers only picked up eight yards, and King City had a chance to tie or take the lead starting at their own 29. But Bo Collins dropped Metzger at the 30. Carlson picked up four on a keeper to the 34, but then Hayden Sanders had his second pass breakup in as many series and King City was forced to punt. On the ensuing kick, a bad snap sailed over punter Graham Medsker’s head a and Carter Chapman dropped him at the Wildkat 9. Hayden Sanders went nowhere on the first play, but then hit Karson Briner in the endzone after a good battle between Briner and Michael Perman for Worth County’s second score. Landon Wilmes moved a pile into the end zone to make it 14-0 with 3:51 left in the first.
The ensuing kickoff caromed off a King City player and was nearly pounced on by Lucas Frisch, but King City got back on top of it at the 31. King City completed two short passes each to Ryder Sample and Tucker Mollus and runs by Carlson and Medsker. Finally, Carlson scored on a sneak late in the first quarter to cut it to 14-6. Jude Archer broke up the extra point pass.
But instead of digging deep, Worth County threatened to let it snowball, and consecutive penalties moved them back from the 33 to the 13, where they faced third and 30. Had King City gotten the ball back with a chance to tie before halftime, it would have been a completely different ballgame. But then Hayden Sanders dropped back to pass, the line gave him good protection, and he threw a dime to Lucas Frisch for 32 yards to keep the drive alive. Frisch picked up nine yards and Hayden Sanders two more to get another first down at the 24. Jude Archer took a direct snap and picked up five more to the 19. Landon Wilmes then took a sweep, got a block from Lucas Frisch, and cut back and into the clear for a score with 9:13 left. Karson Briner caught the extra point pass to make it 22-6.
A horsecollar penalty put the ball at the 40 for King City’s next possession, but then Ethan Lininger and Hayden Sanders dropped Metzger for a loss. Ethan Lininger got presser on Carlson and forced an incompletion, but a hook and ladder play picked up 10 yards and set up fourth and two at the Tiger 32. But for the remainder of the game, King City had trouble converting fourth and short yardage situations. Carlson threw behind the intended receiver on fourth and two and Worth County got the ball on downs at the 32.
Landon Wilmes bounced outside and hurdled a defender to the Tiger 38, and then Wilmes got blocks from Lucas Frisch and Bo Collins to the 37 and a first down. Landon Wilmes got a block from Bo Collins and picked up another first down to the 23. Two more carries only picked up three yards to the 20, but a short pass to Lucas Frisch picked up nine to the 11. Finally, Hayden Sanders rolled to his right and found Karson Briner in the end zone with 5:18 left. Karson Briner caught the extra point pass to make it 30-6.
King City started on the Tiger 37 in good field position, but Ethan Lininger forced a hurry and an incompletion. Medsker picked up nine to the 28. Carlson slipped and fell and lost one, but Medsker converted the fourth and two to the 27. But on the very next play, Carlson dropped back to throw and threw a strike to Jude Archer, who took a pick six to the house with 3:43 left. Landon Wilmes caught the extra point pass to make it 38-6.
King City fielded a squib kick at its own 37 and tried the hook and ladder, but it was a near disaster as they fumbled it and nearly lost it at the 40. An option play went nowhere, and then Ethan Lininger and three other Tigers blew up a “wham” pass with a sack to force a punt to the Tiger 29. Worth County only needed one play to convert as Hayden Sanders aired it out to Karson Briner, who was all alone for his third score of the night after the line once again gave Sanders good protection. That made it 44-6 with 1:33 left in the half.
King City tried to answer right before half, and a five yard run by Medsker and two short passes to Sample moved the ball into Tiger territory at the 32 with 46 seconds left. But then Carter Chapman batted down a pass, Carlson threw away the next ball under pressure, and then Chapman batted down another pass to give the Tigers the ball back on downs at the 32 with 33 seconds left.
Worth County got a diving catch by Lucas Frisch to the 25, and then Landon Wilmes’ catch and run got to the two before he was pushed out of bounds. But Landon Wilmes was tackled at the one right before halftime and Worth County couldn’t quite end the game on the mercy rule at halftime.
King City got the ball to start the second half, but the ensuing kickoff got past Ryder Sample, and he had to fall on it at the nine, and a holding penalty moved it to the four. Carlson was dropped by Ethan Lininger at the six, and a short pass to Darwin Bowden put the ball on the 11, where it was third and three. Bo Collins batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage to set up fourth and three, and in desperation, King City went for it, only for Carter Chapman to get his third pass batdown of the game. That gave the Tigers a short field to work with at the King City 11.
It only took Worth County one play to complete the score as Landon Wilmes broke a host of tackles to get into the end zone with 8:57 left. Lucas Frisch caught the extra point pass to make it 52-6.
King City elected to play on and started at their own 32. Jude Archer broke up a first down pass, but Medsker picked up five and then got an option pitch 18 yards to the Tiger 25. But then Bo Collins dropped him at the 23. On the next play, King City tried a reverse, but a mixup on the handoff caused a fumble and it was third and 14 at the 29. Medsker got half of it back at the 22, but then Bo Collins body slammed him there to give the ball back to the Tigers on downs.
Landon Wilmes picked up two yards, and then Hayden Sanders scrambled to the 31 where it was third and one. Lucas Frisch picked up two more for a first down to the 33. From there, Hayden Sanders took an option, got a block from Ethan Lininger, cut it inside, and got loose down to the 10. Landon Wilmes took it the rest of the way and caught the extra point pass to make it 60-6 with 1:28 left. Shortly afterwards, both coaches turned things over to their substitutes.
Karson Briner caught 90 yards worth of passes, three touchdowns, and two extra points. Landon Wilmes rushed for 90 yards.
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