Tigers Tame Dangerous Lion Squad 72-26

Worth County tamed a dangerous St. Joseph Christian squad 72-26 as their winning streak reached five games. In a game filled with upsets, the Tigers managed to keep their conference title hopes intact as they face Stanberry for Homecoming Friday. Stanberry got its first win by beating Princeton 63-48. Pattonsburg kept pace as they knocked off King City 58-42. In another shocker, Albany, which had been in a tailspin, suddenly woke up and delivered a 56-22 haymaker over North Andrew. 

The Lions got the opening kickoff and Caleb New and Wyatt Hill buried them at the 18 to start the game. On the very first play of the game, a botched option pitch bounced back to the Tigers, and they recovered at the 13. They only needed two plays as Cole Ruby got a block from Sawyer Thurman and picked up six and Brayden Stevens got blocks from Hayden Sanders and Sawyer Thurman and took it to the house with 11:12 left in the first quarter. Cole Ruby got blocks from Sawyer Thurman and Ethan Lininger and added the extra points to make it 8-0.

On the next Lion possession, Brayden Stevens apparently had a pick, but a defensive holding penalty kept the drive alive for Christian. The Tigers overcame another defensive holding penalty as a bad snap on fourth and three at the Tiger 34 left the Tigers the ball at the 36. They were faced with third and six at the 40, and then Cole Ruby got a block from Lucas Frisch and took it to the house with 3:31 left in the first quarter.

Worth County continued to get in its own way defensively, and an apparent stop was again wiped out, this time by a spearing penalty and the Lions were on the move again. Christian was backed up third and 19 at their own 34, but then nobody guarded Noah Dudeck, who was all alone for a long pass to cut it to 14-6.

The Lions tried an onsides kick, but Worth County covered it at the Lion 38. Hayden Sanders ripped off eight and a horsecollar penalty put it on the 15. On the next play, Lucas Frisch took a quick hitter, got rid of a tackler, and used the referee as a blocker to take it to the house with 14 seconds left in the first quarter. Caleb New caught the extra point pass to make it 22-6.

The Tigers dodged another bullet on defense as Dudek was all alone slipping out of the backfield, but Mason Stewart misfired. Christian pinned Worth County at their own four and a false start pinned them at their own two. But Hayden Sanders took a quick hitter and took it 17 yards to the 19 after following a big line surge. A holding moved them back to the ten, but Cole Ruby ripped off 15 to the 25. Hayden Sanders and Cole Ruby picked up five-yard carries, and then Hayden Sanders picked up 11 on a counter to the Lion 34. Cole Ruby got a block from Sawyer Thurman and picked up 10 to the 24. Hayden Sanders left one too far for Bo Collins, but then Cole Ruby got a block from Sawyer Thuman and picked up four to the 20. A facemask penalty put it on the 13. An incomplete pass set up second and ten. On the next play, the Lion coaches called out what the play was going to be, but it didn't matter as Hayden Sanders took a counter and broke into the clear for a score. Cole Ruby got a block from Ethan Lininger and added the extra points to make it 30-6.

The Lions seemingly had a long pass completed to Brayden Hoffman, but the official ruled he had stepped out of bounds, meaning he could not come back in and catch a pass. Jude Archer took a long punt, started down the left side, and reversed his field to the right side and took it to the house with 6:23 left. Bo Collins caught the extra point pass to make it 38-6.

St. Joseph Christian finally got its triple option game going and Calvin Wick gashed the Tigers with some long carries before quarterback Mason Stewart cut back and found nothing but green grass from the 27 to make it 38-12 with 4:27 left. Then, Cole Wagers recovered the onsides kick and the Lions were right back in business at the Tiger 24. The Lions covered the distance in five plays, getting a one-yard score from Conner Wagers with 2:13 left. Noah Dudeck caught the extra point pass to make it 38-20.

This time, Worth County covered the onsides kick at the Lion 36 and Cole Ruby got blocks from Caleb New and Lucas Frisch and picked up 11 to the 25. Hayden Sanders got a block from Ryder Smyser and ran right through the Lion defenders like they weren't even there and took it to the house with 1:14 left to make it 44-20. Christian nearly answered back, but a holding penalty wiped out a 48-yard touchdown run and the Tigers went into the locker up 24.

The Lions nearly got another onsides kick, but Jude Archer fell on it at the 33 to start the second half. Hayden Sanders picked up blocks from Lucas Frisch and Sawyer Thurman and got 14 to the Lion 33. A fumbled option pitch was recovered by the Tigers at the 32 and then Sanders picked up carries of four and then 14 to the 14. A holding penalty wiped out a touchdown and put the ball on the 21, but Lucas Frisch got a block from Ethan Lininger and Worth County recovered the penalty yardage to the 11. Cole Ruby got a block from Caleb New and weaved his way through traffic to the house with 9:12 left. Hayden Sanders got a block from Ethan Lininger and added the extra points to make it 52-20.

On the ensuing possession, the Lions fumbled it after a short gain and Wyatt Hill recovered it at the Lion 25. They only needed one play to convert as Hayden Sanders aired it out to Caleb New, who beat his defender with 8:55 left in the third to make it 58-20. On the ensuing kickoff, Jude Archer pounced on a squib kick at the Lion 18. A holding penalty put it on the 27, but that only made things more interesting as Hayden Sanders got 11 yards to the 16. Cole Ruby got a block from Lucas Frisch and took it to the house with 7:02 left to make it 64-20.

Worth County seemingly had St. Joseph Christian stopped at fourth and seven, but then the defensive back came off Noah Dudeck as Mason Stewart was scrambling and Dudeck was all alone for a 36-yard score to make it 64-26. Ryder Smyser got a sack to stop the extra point try.

Then, the onsides kick caromed off a black shirt into the hands of the Lions. A pass interference put the ball on the 12, and a late hit put it on the five. But on the next play, the Lions fumbled it and Worth County recovered at the 2. Hayden Sanders picked up 10 on a quick hitter and then Brayden Stevens got blocks from Ethan Lininger and Lucas Frisch and took it 68 yards to the house with 9:36 left. Cole Ruby got a block from Hayden Sanders and added the extra points to make it 72-26 and trigger the running clock.

Brayden Murphy blocked a punt to end St. Joseph Christian's last threat before both teams started subbing freely.