Lucas Frisch pounced on an onsides kick recovery to break open a tight game for Worth County and the Tigers went on to beat Pattonsburg 74-24 to hand Pattonsburg its first loss. Wyatt Maize ran for 172 yards for the Panthers despite the loss.
The win means the Tigers clinch at least a tie for first place in the GRC West. If Worth County beats King City Friday, they win the conference title outright, clinches the top seed in districts, and Pattonsburg will get the second seed by virtue of their win over King City no matter how they do against Albany Friday.
If King City beats Worth County, they tie Worth County for the top spot in the GRC West, and Pattonsburg would join them with a win over Albany.
The game was marred by torrential rains and two lightning delays. Some of the players were slow getting up, Hayden Sanders had to come out for a play at one point, and one of the officials was shaken up after slipping in the muddy surface.
Pattonsburg got the ball to start the game after a 45-minute delay for lightning and Bo Collins forced a hurry and Brayden Stevens broke up a pass to set up third and 10 at their own 22. The next pass was incomplete as well and Pattonsburg went for it on fourth and ten. But Jude Archer broke up a pass and the Tigers had the ball with s short field. Cole Ruby picked up four yards and then Brayden Stevens weaved his way 10 yards to the eight. Cole Ruby got a block from Caleb New and got a cutback run to the house with 10:19 left in the first quarter. Hayden Sanders muscled his way in for the extra points to make it 8-0.
The Panthers had better luck on the ground in the next series as Gage Fortner scrambled for a first down to the Tiger 28 on fourth and five. On the next play, Gage Fortner aired it out and Lucas Frisch covered Wyatt Maize perfectly, only for Wyatt to snatch it out of the air for a score. Bo Collins batted down the extra point pass and Worth County was still up 8-6.
It only took Worth County two plays to respond after they got the ball back at the 17. Cole Ruby weaved his way to the 35, and on the next play, he got a block from Caleb New and took it to the house with 6:45 left in the first. Brayden Stevens got a block from Lucas Frisch and ran in the extra points to make it 16-6.
Pattonsburg started at its own 26. Ethan Lininger flushed Gage Fortner out of the pocket and he dropped off a short pass to Camden Griffith to the 31. Fortner tried to air another one out, but Hayden Sanders was in to provide safety help, and he batted it away at the last minute. Wyatt Hill and Lucas Frisch broke up another pass to set up fourth and five. But a pass interference kept the drive alive to the Tiger 34. Wyatt Maize picked up three before being met by Lucas Frisch at the 31. Gavin Humphrey tried a sweep, but Jude Archer, Brayden Stevens, and Ethan Lininger strung it out and held him to two yards to the 29. Gage Fortner scrambled to the 26 and then Wyatt Maize picked up two more to convert a fourth and one at the 24. The Panthers got as far as the 19, but a false start, a fingertip pass breakup by Lucas Frisch on Wyatt Maize on a ball that might have gone for six, and a sack by Ryder Smyser set up fourth and 18 at the 32. Camden Griffith was tackled four yards short of the first down at the 18.
But then a fumble and a false start led to a kick that was shanked, and Pattonsburg got good field position at the Tiger 34. Pattonsburg was faced with third and ten, but then Wyatt Maize broke tackle after tackle to the 28 and converted a fourth and four to the 23 for a measured first down. Drake Sperry caught a short pass, got a block from Jace Estrada, and picked up 10 to the 13. Wyatt Maize broke a tackle, got a block from Drake Sperry, and picked up five to the 8. On the next play, Maize ran through the Tiger defense like they weren't even there and scored to make it 16-12 with 10:12 left in the half.
A holding penalty wiped out a Tiger kickoff return for a score and put the ball on the 10. Cole Ruby met Jace Estrada and Camden Griffith on the next play at the 11. Worth County lined up in the Wildkat formation with Brayden Stevens and he ran right through the defense, scoring with 8:56 left in the half. Cole Ruby got a block from Bo Collins and added the extra points to make it 24-12. On the ensuing kickoff, Lucas Frisch recovered a squib kick at the Pattonsburg 37. It only took one play to take advantage as Hayden Sanders ran through the Pattonsburg defense like it wasn’t even there. Cole Ruby ran in the extra points to make it 32-12.
The ensuing kick rolled into no-man’s land and Wyatt Hill nearly recovered it at the Pattonsburg 12, but it rolled out of bounds before he could secure it. Pattonsburg took advantage as Wyatt Maize ran through the Tiger defense like it wasn’t even there as Pattonsburg cut it to 32-18. That capped a stretch of four scores in 1:41.
At that point, lightning started coming close and the game was delayed by another half-hour. When play resumed, Pattonsburg tried an onsides kick of their own, only to scrape the top of the ball and Worth County got the ball at the Pattonsburg 30. A false start moved it back to the 35, but then Hayden Sanders got four yards and Cole Ruby bulldozed his way to the 21. Ruby picked up four more to the 17, and Brayden Stevens took a quick pitch to the 13. On the next play, Cole Ruby got a block from Lucas Frisch and took it to the house with 6:06 left in the first half. Blocks by Caleb New and Hayden Sanders set up a cutback run by Brayden Stevens to add the extra points and make it 40-18.
Pattonsburg got the ball back, and a diving catch by Gavin Humphrey put it on the Tiger 27. A block in the back put it back on the 35, but a diving catch by Camden Griffith put it on the seven. But Wyatt Maize was tackled one yard short of the goal line and on fourth and goal at the one, Gage Fortner’s knee hit the ground in the mud as he was trying to field a snap and Worth County held right before the half.
The Panthers were still moving the ball in the second half, but gave up too many big plays to keep up in a driving downpour through much of the third quarter. First, Hayden Sanders got a block from Sawyer Thurman and took it 55 yards to the house. Then, after Worth County stopped a Pattonsburg drive at the 20, Cole Ruby got loose for a 50 yard run to make it 54-18. A long run by Wyatt Maize to the Tiger 17 set up a scramble by Gage Fortner, who threw a sidearm sling to Camden Griffith, who took it to the house to make it 54-24 with 3:17 left in the third.
Pattonsburg tried another onsides kick, but Worth County fell on it at the Pattonsburg 38 and had another short field to work with. Hayden Sanders muscled his way to the 34, and Brayden Stevens took the Wildkat snap seven yards to the 27. Cole Ruby met Jace Estrada at the 26, but as Pattonsburg was selling out to stop the run, Caleb New was all alone for a 26-yard strike from Hayden Sanders to make it 60-24. It was Worth County’s only pass attempt all night.
On Pattonsburg’s second play from scrimmage on the next series, Ryder Smyser got a big hit and Lucas Frisch recovered it at the 40. Pattonsburg threw in the towel at the end of the third, putting in their JV. Jordan Dannar got a block from Bentin Roberts and took it to the house with 10:26 left in the fourth to make it 66-24, and then Lance Runde snatched a fumble in mid-air to give the Tigers the ball again at the Pattonsburg four. Bentin Roberts got a block from Jordan Dannar for a score with 6:52 left. Jordan Dannar ran in the extra points to make it 74-24 before Pattonsburg threw in the towel.
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