Worth County's Tigers, behind the blocking of Sawyer Thurman, overcame a slow start and the sweltering heat and got better as the game progressed, eventually pulling away from Princeton in the second half, beating them 78-6 to stay on top of the GRC West. King City took care of business with a 52-0 win over Albany while Pattonsburg kept pace as well with a 74-42 win over North Andrew.
Princeton started off the season 0-2, but with Seth Bass at the helm, who previously built North Shelby into the powerhouse it is today, they have nowhere else to go but up. There was good reason to fear Hunter Lowrey, their big lineman, but he was out for Friday's game. Under Bass, Princeton is doing the same thing that North Shelby is doing; they are using a lot of deception, a lot of slow developing plays, and nobody knows where the ball is until it is too late. To win, Worth County had to play assignment sound football and do their own jobs on defense.
On defense, Princeton came out differently against Worth County than most teams; their focus was on stopping Bo Collins and making someone else beat them and force the Tigers to move the ball slowly down the field. They employed a two man front and dropped three back in pass coverage, similar to what a lot of enemy teams do against the Chiefs. But after putting the ball on the ground once, Worth County was able to get some big gains from Cole Ruby and a career night from Brayden Stevens. Once the game crossed the 45-point mark, the junior varsity was able to get in on the fun.
Worth County started off on its own 27 and Cole Ruby ripped off ten on his first play. He was stuffed for one on the next but got a block from Caleb New and picked up 11 down to the 31. Lucas Frisch got a block from Sawyer Thurman and picked up six to the 25, and then Bo Collins and Sawyer Thurman sprung Brayden Stevens loose for 25 yards and a score with 9:57 left. Cole Ruby got a block from Lucas Frisch and added the extra points to make it 8-0.
Sawyer Thurman earning a starting spot on the line this year has allowed Worth County to move Bo Collins back to his natural end position and makes it much harder for defenses to stop the Tigers. Princeton has a lot of speed on offense and has a lot of spread looks. They tried to isolate Thurman, but he was able to break up a pass and stay with his man.
Corbin Powell ripped off a 13-yard pitch to the Tiger 38. But another pitch play was botched, and he fumbled it for a loss of four. Princeton then dialed up what looked like an option, only for halfback Mitchell Walker to air out a strike to Kolton Schurke for 38 yards down to the four. But Walker was dropped for a loss and then Jude Archer broke up a pass in the end zone. They put Walker in the Wildkat formation, and he spun his way to the one. But a wall of white shirts drove him back on fourth and goal and Worth County took over on downs.
Hayden Sanders muscled his way to the seven and then Sawyer Thurman sprung Cole Ruby free for 12 yards to the 19. A holding penalty drove the Tigers back to the 11 and Cole was stuffed after a one-yard gain. But Caleb New's catch and run picked up a first down and a facemask penalty put the ball on the Princeton 32. Cole Ruby was stopped, but Brayden Stevens picked up five and an offsides put it on the 23 for a first down. Lucas Frisch took a quick hitter to the 15 and Cole Ruby picked up blocks from Frisch and Thurman to the 8. Lucas Frisch took it to the one, but Cole was dropped at the two and then Hayden Sanders fumbled as he tried to reach across the plane of the end zone and Princeton got a touchback at their own 15.
Worth County then proceeded to show the sloppy form they had the last time they played in the sweltering heat against Rock Port and Mitchell Walker ripped off a 42-yard gain after a missed tackle that took him down to the Tiger 17. Jude Archer blew up an option, but then a bad snap turned into gold for Princeton as the containment broke down and Judd Henke took it to the house with 11:53 left in the second quarter.
But then Worth County woke up and stopped the ensuing extra point try one yard short of the end zone. On the ensuing kickoff, Brayden Stevens got a couple of blocks and burst down the left sideline all the way to the house. Cole Ruby got a block from Lucas Frisch and cut back to make it 16-6 with 11:43 left in the half.
Walker tried a carry, but Sawyer Thurman drove him back for a loss that put Princeton behind the sticks at their own 27. Walker spun his way to the 31 and a short pass from Henke to Walker picked up four to the 35, where Princeton was faced with fourth and three. Henke tried to scramble for the first down, but Lucas Frisch stopped him just short at the Princeton 38 and Worth County took over on downs.
A dropped pass set up second and ten, but Brayden Stevens jetted for a first down at the 26. From there, Cole Ruby took a sweep down the right side, reversed his field, and took it down the left side to the house to make it 22-6 with 8:40 left.
Princeton tried to take a shot on Sawyer Thurman, but he broke up a long pass on first down. Princeton was faced with fourth and four deep in their own territory, but a jet sweep to Corbin Powell picked up 19 yards as the Tigers had trouble getting off the field on that series. Ryder Smyser dropped Henke for a loss to set up fourth and eight at the Tiger 32, only for Princeton to hit them with a nine-yard screen pass to Walker for another first down. But Worth County finally got off the field when Princeton couldn't complete a pass downfield. Wyatt Hill broke up a long pass on first down. Princeton then dropped a pass and then Jude Archer had his second pass breakup of the night. A short pass to Powell was caught, but he was tackled short of the first down at the 18 and the Tigers had held.
Cole Ruby got a block from Bo Collins and picked up six to the 24. Ruby rescued a third and five with an eight-yard run to the 31 and then Brayden Stevens picked up blocks from Bo Collins and Lucas Frisch and took it 49 yards to the house with 2:57 left. Cole Ruby ran in the extra points to make it 30-6.
On the ensuing series, Henke dropped back to pass, but Ethan Lininger came free up the middle and Henke had to fall on his own fumble. Sawyer Thurman and Lucas Frisch blew up a running play, and another running play went nowhere as Princeton was forced to punt.
Worth County got the ball back with 56 seconds with Brock Healy as the quarterback. He threw a short pass to Caleb New for five, and Cole Ruby ripped off 14 to the Princeton 29. Brayden Stevens picked up a short pass for three to the 26 and Brock Healy scrambled to the 21 before getting out of bounds. Princeton dropped an interception with one second left, giving Worth County only more chance to score. A trick play, with Brock Healy pitching it to Brayden Stevens, who threw it back to Healy for a screen pass, nearly went the distance before Healy was tackled at the two. It would have been wiped out by a holding penalty.
A delay of game penalty on Princeton to start the second half put them behind the sticks and Jude Archer dropped Kash Holt after a short pass to force a three and out. Worth County started at its own 23 and Cole Ruby picked up four. Brayden Stevens picked up 18 after getting a block from Lucas Frisch and Cole Ruby got a block from Frisch to the Princeton 31. Lucas Frisch took a quick hitter to the 28 and Cole Ruby got a block from Lucas Frisch and bounced outside to the 19. Hayden Sanders then burst up the middle and sprung free to the house with 7:35 left. Brayden Stevens got a block from Lucas Frisch and ran in the extra points to make it 38-6.
The ensuing kickoff caromed off a Princeton player and Worth County nearly recovered it before Princeton fell on it at the 29. Jude Archer broke up a long pass on first down. A defensive holding penalty put it on the 39, but Lucas Frisch blew up a draw play for a loss. Walker picked up four to the Tiger 38 before being met by Sawyer Thurman and Wyatt Hill, and then Lucas Frisch and Wyatt Hill blew up a running play to give the Tigers the ball back on downs at the 34.
With Princeton finally creeping up to stop the run, Hayden Sanders aired it out to Caleb New for 30 yards to the 16. Brayden Stevens took an option seven yards to the 9 and then Hayden Sanders took it the rest of the way with 4:54 left. Sanders took a sweep that fooled everyone and added the extra points to make it 46-6.
Sawyer Thurman hurried Judd Henke into an incompletion and then a botched option play turned into a fumble pounced on by Ryder Smyser at the Princeton 31. Worth County aired it out to Bo Collins, who nearly made a great catch and prevented an interception. On the next play, Hayden Sanders got free on a read option, got loose down the right side, and met a swarm of blue shirts. Just before they tackled him, he pitched it to Brayden Stevens, who took it 24 yards down to the seven. An offsides penalty put it on the three and Lucas Frisch got a block from Cole Ruby and took it the rest of the way with 2:35 left in the third. For the extra point try, Hayden Sanders rolled out to his right, Bo Collins acted as the perfect decoy, and Caleb New was all alone in the end zone to make it 54-6.
Wyatt Hill broke up a pass and on the next play, a freshman, Jace Burns, ran onto the field when Worth County needed a nose tackle. He got off the ball, got a push into the backfield, and blew up the play, causing a fumble pounced on by Sawyer Thurman at the 23. Cole Ruby took a sweep to the right side, got blocks from Hayden Sanders and Lucas Frisch, reversed his field, and found nothing but daylight as he took it to the house. Worth County went play action and Sanders found New in the end zone again to make it 62-6.
Jordan Dannar buried Princeton at the 8 on the ensuing kickoff as both teams started subbing freely at this point. Tucker Fletchall got in on a tackle and an option play went nowhere as Princeton was forced to punt. Worth County took it at the 30 and Jordan Dannar took a sweep 35 yards to the 15 and picked up nine more to the 6. On the next play, Dylan Smith caught a pass with 8:25 from Brock Healy. Jordan Dannar got a block from Bentin Roberts to make it 70-6.
Brayden Combs got in for a tackle for loss on the next series and Trenton Adwell blew up another play as Princeton was forced to punt. Wyatt Scadden caught a long pass from Brock Healy and Bentin Roberts got a block from Scadden and added the extra points to make it 78-6 with 2:02 left in the game.
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