Hayden Sanders Rushes for 115, Bo Collins Gets Pick Six in 68-22 Tiger Win

Worth County overcame an early deficit against previously unbeaten North Andrew as Hayden Sanders rushed for 115 yards and led the team in tackling with nine stops as he was fully recovered from a hip flexor injury he suffered against Princeton. Bo Collins added a pick-six that was a backbreaker, while Brock Healy completed 7 of 8 passes for 166 yards.

Last week, it was the offense that struggled against Princeton as Sanders had to come out after struggling in the sweltering heat and the increased workload, as he now plays defense full-time. This week, it was the defense that struggled in the first quarter against a North Andrew squad that featured a lot of new wrinkles. Normally a power running team under the guidance of Dewayne Williams and his son Dustyn, they opened up the passing game this year with Levi McAfee, a dual threat. They now call the play in the huddle and then rush up to the line of scrimmage before snapping it, a legal play as long as they have a legal formation and they are set for one second prior to the snap; that kept the Tigers off balance.

To take the load off Sanders, Worth County alternated him and Brock Healy at quarterback. The results were immediate; they rarely let the play clock run low, and Hayden was able to stay fresh for the whole game. Asked if he was in any pain after the game, Hayden Sanders said, “No, I feel good.”

The Tigers have a similar makeup to the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers, who had both a powerful running quarterback in Tommie Frazier and a powerful passing quarterback in Brook Berringer. That Cornhusker team won the National Championship and is widely regarded as one of the greatest college football teams of all time. Despite all that, their coach, Tom Osborne, was very humble about his accomplishments. “I’m the same man I was before we won our national championships,” he said during a talk he gave when he came to Northwest Missouri State.

The question was who would lead the junior varsity, since Healy was promoted to varsity quarterback along with Sanders. Liam Cordell, who had never played quarterback before, quarterbacked the Junior Varsity on Monday, September 14^th. He showed some early jitters, but showed some mad scrambling ability, and he threw some good balls as well as he guided the Tigers to an easy victory.

On fourth and two at their own 20 on their first possession, Worth County gambled and it paid off when Hayden Sanders got a block from Jace Burns and burst through a big hole for 45 yards to flip the field to the Cardinal 15. Cole Ruby weaved his way to the six, Hayden Sanders bounced outside to the two on a counter, and Jude Archer burst up the middle for a score with 9:30 left. Cole Ruby ran in the extra points to make it 8-0.

Worth County put North Andrew behind the sticks as Boston Cole met Ryder Smyser after Jordan Dannar’s tackle pinned them at the 20 on the kickoff. North Andrew spread it out, but Smyser dropped Levi McAfee for no gain. But a defensive holding penalty gave North Andrew a first down at the 32. Ethan Lininger dropped Ruger Herbert for no gain. McAfee picked up four to set up third and six, but once again, Worth County could not get off the field as McAfee aired it out to Isaac Coats to the Tiger 5. Then, nobody picked up Adler Miller coming out of the backfield a few plays later, and North Andrew was on the board. Jacob Hill caught the extra point pass to tie it up at 8-8.

Once again, Worth County was faced with a fourth and two at their own 32, and once again, they successfully went for it. Hayden Sanders picked up three yards, and a facemask penalty put it on the Cardinal 30. Hayden Sanders picked up two to the 28, and then Dylan Smith, subbing for Wyatt Scadden who was shaken up during the kickoff, made a diving grab at the 10 after a pass from Brock Healy. Cole Ruby got blocks from Ethan Lininger, Bo Collins, and Hayden Sanders as he took it the rest of the way to make it 14-8 with 3:04 left in the first.

But North Andrew struck right back as Worth County was still not ready for the Cards’ scrambling up to the line and getting the snap off quickly; Levi McAfee scored off a burst through a big hole to with 1:41 left to put them on the board. Nobody picked up Isaac Coats on the extra point pass, and he caught it to put North Andrew up 16-14.

North Andrew tried to take control with an onsides kick, but Worth County covered it at their own 37 to set up a short field. Jude Archer picked up six to the 37. Hayden Sanders picked up eight more to the Cardinal 29. A drop was followed by an offsides penalty to put the ball on the 24. Hayden Sanders picked up 12 yards after getting a block from Bo Collins, Cole Ruby started off to the right side on the next play, and then got a block from Jace Burns that sprung him free down the left side to the house with 11 seconds left in the first quarter to make it 20-16.

Worth County finally got a break as Ethan Lininger forced a fumble and recovered it at the Cardinal 18 on their second play from scrimmage. Cole Ruby got a block from Jace Burns and picked up six to the 12. Jude Archer scrambled for five down to the seven, and Jude Archer got a block from Cole Ruby to the house with 11:01 left in the second. Brock Healy threw a strike to Bo Collins to make it 28-16.

Jordan Dannar pinned the Cardinals deep at their own 19, but Levi McAfee picked up a 24-yard burst to the Tiger 37. They nearly had them stopped, but then nobody picked up Boston Cole on the guard eligible play, and he took it to the 11. But McAfee met Jordan Dannar at the 10, and Dannar broke up a pass to set up third and nine. Bo Collins dropped Levi McAfee at the 11, and then a hurry forced an incompletion and Worth County finally got a stop on defense. On their first play from scrimmage, Jude Archer took a burst up the middle 69 yards to the house with 6:46 left in the second quarter. Wyatt Scadden came back from being shaken up and caught a pass to make it 36-16.

With the graduation of Wyatt Hill, Coach Jon Adwell had been trying several different people at kicker, but finally found his man in Xander Bodle, who drilled one into the end zone on the ensuing kickoff. Hayden Sanders dropped Miller and McAfee on consecutive plays to set up third and ten. Bentin Roberts broke up a pass to force a three and out. On the ensuing punt, Worth County once again had a long runback wiped out by a penalty and they started at their own 35. But it didn’t matter this time as Brock Healy threw a strike to Bo Collins with 5:15 left. On the extra point try, Hayden Sanders came under a heavy rush, but threw a sidearm sling to Cole Ruby for the two points to make it 44-16.

Lance Runde pinned North Andrew at its own 20 on the next play on the kickoff. Ruger Herbert picked up five on North Andrew’s first play, but Ethan Lininger dropped him for no gain. McAfee was stopped three yards short by Bo Collins, and North Andrew was forced to punt. A good kick pinned Worth County at the 17. Cole Ruby picked up three to the 20, and there was a heartstopping moment as Bo Collins took a short pass from Brock Healy, and his catch and run looked headed to the house, only for him to fumble it. But he got back on it at the Cardinal 29. Hayden Sanders got a block from Jace Burns and took it the rest of the way with 1:52 left in the second, and Brock Healy threw a strike to Jude Archer to make it 52-16.

Once again, Worth County was caught out of position when North Andrew scrambled to the line and snapped the ball, and five different players took themselves out of the play as Adler Miller burst through for 60 yards to the Tiger six after Xander Bodle had pinned them deep at their own 15. But Miller was met by Ethan Lininger on the next play for no gain. Levi McAfee ran into Jude Archer on the next to set up third and goal. McAfee tried to throw it in the end zone, but left it too far for Isaac Coats to set up fourth down. On the next play, Bo Collins made up for his previous miscue as he jumped a route, picked off the pass, and took it 75 yards to the house as time expired. Jude Archer made a diving catch to make it 60-16.

Frustration set in for North Andrew, and they picked up an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that pinned them at their own 8. On third down, Jude Archer slipped and fell, but McAfee led his man too far, and the Cardinals were forced to punt. Worth County got a sack, a negative play, and a holding penalty that put them third and 29 at their own 23. But in a play reminiscent of the 2017 State Championship game, Worth County gave it to Jude Archer to get as much as he could with it. He burst free 56 yards before being tackled at the one. Hayden Sanders took it the rest of the way, and Bo Collins caught the extra point pass to make it 68-16.

McAfee took it in with 1:25 left in the third from four yards out as the Tigers were starting to take out key players. The game was called after three quarters.

Brock Healy completed 7 out of 8 passes for 166 yards.

Hayden Sanders rushed 9 times for 115 yards. Jude Archer had 5 carries for 84 yards. Cole Ruby had 7 carries for 44 yards.

Bo Collins had 2 catches for 76 yards. Jude Archer had 5 catches for 70 yards, and Dylan Smith had 1 catch for 18 yards.

Hayden Sanders had 9 tackles for the Tigers. Bentin Roberts, Jude Archer, and Jordan Dannar had 8. Bo Collins and Ethan Lininger had 5 each. Cole Ruby had 4, Ryder Smyser 3, Brock Healy 2, and Lance Runde and Hudson Cameron 1.