Worth County scored early and often against Nodaway Valley and East Atchison, getting 44 points while only giving up six Friday at Tarkio. Worth County will find out right away how well they are ready to defend their state title as they travel to Rock Port Friday at 7:00 pm. Both Route 136 from Burlington Junction to Tarkio to Rock Port and Route 59 from Maryville to Fairfax will have construction delays.
The Tiger defense started first against Nodaway Valley. The Thunder was the real deal last year, challenging Rock Port for the Highway 275 crown, but did little against the Tigers in their first possession. There were two occasions in which one of the speedy Thunder backs looked like he was in the clear, only for Worth County to close out hard and snuff out the play. They got as far as their own 32 before Ethan Lininger dropped Cooper Morrow back to the 29. Morrow seemingly found daylight next play, only for Bo Collins to close the gap in a hurry and stop him at the 36. A dropped ball was followed by a Jordan Dannar pick to bring it back to the 15. One of the Nodaway Valley speed merchants nearly got in the clear again, only for Hudson Cameron to run him down. They finally sprung a screen pass on their final play from scrimmage, but Worth County got the tackle at midfield to kill the drive.
Worth County started off against East Atchison on their next series on offense. Hayden Sanders muscled his way to the 20, and then Cole Ruby broke loose for 16 yards to the 36. Jude Archer picked up three more to the 39. On the next play, Wyatt Scadden was wide open for a potential score, but Hayden Sanders led him too far. Finally, Cole Ruby got blocks from Jace Burns and one of the other Tiger linemen to form a wall. That was all he needed to take it to the house from 41 yards out. Wyatt Scadden caught the extra point pass. For the reserves, Brock Healy got a block from Bentin Roberts, started off right, cut his way back to the left side, got another block from Liam Cordell, and took it all the way to the East Atchison 31. Liam Cordell caught a long pass from Healy and took it all the way to the two on the final play before he was tackled.
On Worth County’s next offensive series, against Nodaway Valley, Hayden Sanders muscled his way for four yards to start. Cole Ruby sprung loose for 11 yards after he got blocks from Bo Collins and Hayden Sanders. From there, Worth County took a perfectly executed jet sweep to the house as Jude Archer sprung loose. Cole Hardy’s catch and run for the reserves carried 41 yards to the Thunder 7 and then Hardy got loose on a sweep and to the house on the final play as Worth County picked up 14 points against the Thunder defense.
Ethan Lininger pounced on a fumble on East Atchison’s first play from scrimmage for the Wolves’ offense going up against the Tiger defense. A bobbled snap cost them another play and then Wolves’ quarterback Brody Wennihan, in the grasp of Bo Collins, somehow got off a pass to Josh Schluter to pick up several yards. Ryder Smyser got a sack and a quarterback hurry to force the Wolves back to the 15, since it was fourth down. Brock Healy had a big hit and Hudson Cameron had a pair of good tackles for the reserves.
After a brief intermission, the teams played another half of scrimmages with the same order as before. A holding penalty wiped out one big play by the Thunder, and Hayden Sanders had a quarterback hurry to force an incompletion. Jude Archer blew up a running play. Finally, Nodaway Valley got a long pass completed to Tye Hoyt with a Tiger defender draped all over him to set up the lone score against the Tigers. Bo Collins alertly covered a quick hitter that nobody else accounted for, and Jarrett Gilland got a sack for the reserves, but Nodaway Valley slipped a back out of the backfield for a score on the final play.
Determined to give a better accounting of themselves, East Atchison was flying around the field and dropped Cole Ruby for a big loss to set up a fourth and nine at the 16. But then Hayden Sanders aired out a long pass for 64 yards to Wyatt Scadden, who got behind the defense for a score. Bo Collins caught the extra point pass. The play was reminiscent of one back in 1998 in which Brock Healy’s dad, Chris Healy, was faced with fourth and 28 at his own two on the same field, 98 yards from paydirt, as Worth County didn’t realize it was fourth down. It didn’t matter as he aired it out to Brad Moad, who outran everyone to the house, and nothing was hurt. A pair of long runs by Cole Hardy got the Tigers on the board again. On the extra point try, Liam Cordell, instead of outrunning a defender and using his speed, elected to take him on and muscle his way into the end zone successfully.
On Worth County’s final series on offense, Jude Archer broke off a 13-yard run and Hayden Sanders got a block from Ethan Lininger to the Nodaway Valley 39 to set up the reserves. Brock Healy completed a screen pass to Cole Hardy, who took it to the house for the third time from 40 yards out.
Jordan Dannar got a sack on Worth County’s last defensive series against East Atchison. Hayden Sanders and Jude Archer blew up a running play, and Cole Hardy and Jordan Dannar blew up another. East Atchison finally got loose with a counter as Braxton Davis got loose to the Tiger 35 before Bo Collins ran him down to save a score. Bo Collins blew up another counter try, and Liam Cordell drilled one of the Wolves’ backs for the reserves. Gunnar Smith blew up a running play, and Weston Hill got a sack after a bad snap to end the Tigers’ night.
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