Bentin Roberts, Wyatt Scadden Step Up as Tigers Bounce Back

The Tigers had some bad news after the Rock Port loss as they lost Caleb New for the year (knee) and for basketball as well. Cole Ruby was day to day and was held out for much of the game. But there was still football to be played, and Bentin Roberts stepped up and delivered some bone-crushing blocks to spring Tiger backs loose for scores. Wyatt Scadden got a lot more playing time, and he delivered, beating everyone down the field for some scores. Ryder Smyser made some key plays on defense as the Tigers beat South Holt 52-0 at halftime. But they will have to clean up the sloppy play from their first two games and learn how to play in the heat, as Princeton will come to town with Worth County circled on its calendar. They were giving Rock Port everything it could handle at halftime Friday, trailing only 34-27 at the half. Rock Port eventually pulled away for a 64-47 win. 

Things went from bad to worse for the Knights as the opening kickoff was barely scraped and Worth County had a short field to work with at the Knight 30. They only needed one play to take advantage as Jude Archer outran everyone to the house to make it 6-0 with 11:53 left in the first. Hayden Sanders rolled to his right and lofted it up to Bentin Roberts to make it 8-0.

After South Holt started on its own 24, Tayle Prussman picked up five for the Knights. But Hayden Sanders and Jordan Dannar combined on a tackle for loss, and a short pass to Kameron Noland left them two yards short of the first down. A false start derailed their efforts to go for it, and South Holt was forced to punt.

A great kick pinned the Tigers at their own 5, but Jude Archer picked up blocks from Ethan Lininger and Wyatt Scadden to get to the 27. Bo Collins caught a short pass and got a block from Bentin Roberts, picking up 13 yards to the 40. A jet sweep to Jordan Dannar picked up seven as he spun his way to the 33. Hayden Sanders got a block from Bentin Roberts, and that was all he needed to take it to the house with 8:28 left to make it 14-0.

Jordan Dannar and Hudson Cameron delivered a big hit to pin the Knights on their own 15. There was confusion on the sidelines, and the Tigers dodged a bullet as Jordan Dannar came out bleeding and Lance Runde ran out on the field at the last minute and tackled Prussman after a three-yard gain which could have been a lot worse. Dannar returned to the game. On the next play, Bo Collins had a big hit and forced a fumble, and Bentin Roberts pounced on it at the eight. Jude Archer got a block from Bentin Roberts and took it seven yards down to the one, and Hayden Sanders moved a pile into the end zone with seven minutes left in the first. Bo Collins made a leaping catch in the back of the end zone to put Worth County up 22-0.

Bentin Roberts buried his man at the 19 to pin South Holt deep again. With Dannar still on the sidelines, South Holt tried the same tight end isolation play that Rock Port had used to success last week, but Lance Runde went stride for stride with Will Jackson and batted it away from him at the last moment. Bo Collins dropped Prussman after a gain of one, and Prussman was tackled four yards short of the first down on a pass play to set up fourth down. Once again, South Holt moved as they were trying to go for it, and they were forced to punt.

The sloppy play that Coach Jon Adwell was harping on reared up as a block in the back wiped out a touchdown, and Worth County started on its own 28. A bad snap derailed the drive, and Worth County was forced to punt. South Holt had good field position at its own 35, and Hayden Sanders was cramping up in the heat and sat out the series. But Cole Ruby and Jude Archer stepped up to drop quarterback Coltyn Fansher. Fansher scrambled to the 36, but Jace Burns and Jordan Dannar stopped him there. Bentin Roberts jumped a pass and forced an incompletion. Lance Runde had his second pass breakup, and Worth County got the ball on downs at the Knight 36, with Hayden Sanders back at the helm.

Three carries by Bentin Roberts, Hayden Sanders, and Jude Archer got it to the 20, and then Hayden Sanders aired it out to Wyatt Scadden, who beat his man by five yards to the house with 54 seconds left in the first. Worth County overcame a false start as Wyatt Scadden once again beat his defender by five yards and gathered in a pass from Sanders to make it 30-0.

South Holt got a good runback to its own 28, but a false start put them behind the sticks. Ryder Smyser timed the snap perfectly and shot through to drop Noland for a loss. A short pass was stopped after three yards as Ryder Smyser got a quarterback hurry and Hayden Sanders was there for the 1-on-1 tackle.

Once again, the sloppy play continued as a block in the back wiped out another long run, this time back to the Knight 30. A false start moved them back to the Knight 35, but once again, Wyatt Scadden beat his man by over five yards, taking a long pass from Hayden Sanders with 11:31 left in the half to make it 36-0.

Trenton Adwell and Dylan Smith combined to pin South Holt at its own 20. Bentin Roberts broke up a pass, then Prussman met Ryder Smyser for no gain. Fansher scrambled five yards to the 25, and South Holt elected to go for it. Hayden Sanders broke up a pass and the Tigers had the short field at the Knight 25. Brock Healy came in at quarterback, and the Tigers started subbing freely at that point. Healy threw a strike to Bentin Roberts and scrambled into the end zone for the extra points to make it 44-0 with 9:52 left in the second.

After South Holt was pinned at its own 21, Ethan Lininger and Jace Burns combined on a tackle for loss at the 20. Jude Archer’s man got inside of him, but he stuck with the play and broke it up. Hayden Sanders snuffed out a short pass to force a three and out. Jude Archer took the kick, and Worth County finally managed to avoid a penalty as he weaved his way to the Knight 26 after getting a block from Bentin Roberts. Brock Healy misfired on a pass that would have left Wyatt Scadden with another score, but Jude Archer got a block from Jordan Dannar to the 21. Brock Healy rolled out and threw a strike to Jordan Dannar, who crossed over with him and was in the clear for a score. Bentin Roberts took a handoff and Dylan Smith got a perfect seal block, holding up two defenders as Roberts cut back to score the extra points to make it 52-0 with 7:21 left in the half.

Jordan Dannar pinned the Knights at their own 20. There was a mixup on the defense as only seven players were out there, but Ryder Smyser shot past his blocker and threw his man for a loss. A pass interference gave the Knights a first down, but back to back sacks from Hudson Cameron and Ryder Smyser killed the drive, and South Holt was forced to punt. Once again, Worth County had a long punt return called back, and this time, a mixup on an exchange caused a fumble and Worth County was forced to punt. On the ensuing kick, Jakob Herbert stuck with the play and pinned the Knight back at their own 16. South Holt got a promising drive going as time was winding down, getting it to the Tiger 35. But Hudson Cameron came up with a pick, and Worth County knelt out the clock.