Mad Max Hiatt and the Worth County Junior High squad is short on numbers this year, but they are very much in the hunt for a third straight undefeated season, something the Tigers have never accomplished in their school history at this level. Against Albany Monday in a game played at Northwest, Worth County had every reason to be worried about mammoth Warrior lineman Evan Mercer. “Good luck going against #61,” said some of the Northwest athletes winding up their practices, referring to Mercer. Just like in the varsity game, Albany pounced on the onsides kick. Then, they completed a long pass to the tall receiver Rett Fountain deep in Tiger territory. But then the wheels started to come off for the Warriors after Fountain fumbled at the end of the run and Mason Hern pounced on it at the 21 to kill the drive.
Hiatt then went to work, ripping off gains of ten and five to the 36. A pass to Jace Mullock put the ball in Warrior territory to the 30. Mad Max bounced outside for 16 yards to the 14 and then picked up three more to the 11. Jace Mullock took it to the one, and then Hiatt took it the rest of the way. Mullock made a diving catch in the end zone for the extra points to make it 8-0 with 3:30 left in the first.
On the ensuing kickoff, Mason Moser had a scoop and score wiped out by a penalty, but that only made things more interesting. Mad Max bounced outside and took it 30 yards to the house with three minutes left in the first. On the extra point try, he tried the middle, got hemmed in by the big Albany line, and then bounced outside for the score to make it 16-0.
Albany finally started finding daylight behind its mammoth offensive line as Atreus Waltiere ripped off six yards to the 31. Townsen Crawford followed a big hole behind the mammoth Albany line 13 yards to Worth County’s 36. Waltiere picked up five more to the 31. But a fumble drove them back to the 34. Crawford picked up four to the 30, but then Hayzer Florea and Troop Larison stopped him short at the 28, and Albany gave up the ball on downs.
Hiatt aired it out to Jace Mullock, who hauled it in for 36 yards to Albany’s 16. A short pass was blown up for a loss of one, and Hiatt was stopped short at the 16. But on third and ten, Mad Max dove for the first down and then took it to the house next play with 5:18 left in the half. A pass to Emmett Frisch put the Tigers up 24-0.
Troop Larison laid down a big hit to pin Albany at its own 27. A five-yarder by Waltiere and a quick hitter to Jaxon Browning put the ball in Tiger territory at the 39. Waltiere only had one yard on the next play, but Albany aired it out to Porter Sorensen to the 12. But every time Albany got inside the red zone, Worth County would stiffen up and make plays on defense. Mason Moser dropped Crawford for a loss at the 15. Moser and Troop Larison combined to throw Waltiere for a loss on the next play to the 16. Mad Max took care of the rest, blowing up a screen pass and breaking up a pass to give the Tigers the ball back at the 17.
Short passes to Mason Moser gave them a first down at the 27 with time winding down in the first half. A holding wiped out a touchdown and put the ball on the 20. Max Hiatt aired it out 42 yards to Jace Mullock, who took it to Albany’s 18. On the last play of the half, Troop Larison caught a screen pass on the left side of the field, cut over to the right side, and took it to the house to make it 30-0.
Albany threatened to start the second half after a facemask penalty put the ball on Worth County’s 15. A sweep was blown up and a fumble put Albany back to the 27. But a long pass to Porter Sorensen gave them a chance at the 13. On fourth down, Albany threw an incomplete pass, and Worth County held in the red zone for the third time.
With Mercer anchoring the line, Worth County found it tough to get yards up the middle during its next series. They slowly went from the 13 to the 27. But suddenly, an option fooled everyone as Mad Max made a perfect pitch as the green shirts were closing in, and Jace Mullock found nothing but turf ahead of him for a score with 48 seconds left in the third to make it 36-0.
Faced with fourth and five at its own 34, Albany elected to go for it. But Max Hiatt broke up the pass play, and Worth County had a short field to work with. They only needed one play as Hiatt threw a strike to Jace Mullock with 4:51 left in the game. An option play to Mason Moser provided the extra points, and Worth County led 44-0.
Albany had one more try to get on the board, but Hayzer Florea pounced on a fumble on their first play to give Worth County the ball at Albany’s 32. A pitchout to Mason Moser and a facemask put it on the 19 with time winding down. Moser was driven back to the 20, but on the last play of the game, Mad Max scrambled in the end zone to make it 50-0. Hiatt ran for 110 yards and threw for another 134 in the win.
Junior High “B” 6, Albany 6
The fifth quarter threatened to be a different outcome as Phoenix Carter scored on a 63-yard burst after five different defenders overran him to put the Warriors ahead 6-0.
Worth County fought back as Mason Hern ripped off a 25-yard gain to Albany’s 35. Two plays later, he started down the left side but reversed his field and weaved his way past defenders to the 19. Grayson Mullock got a bad snap on the next play but got a block from Mason Gray and sprung free as the reserves salvaged a tie.
Junior Varsity 36, Albany 14
The nightcap threatened to be a long night for the Tigers after Albany bailed itself out of a third and 16 with a long pass to Cole Findley to Worth County’s 38. On a busted play, Armani Smith scooped it up and ripped off 12 yards to the 26. Then, Tripp Crawford found himself boxed in on the left side, reversed his field to the right side, and found nothing but daylight to take it to the house to put Albany up 6-0 with 6:43 left in the first.
Albany tried the onsides kick to try to catch the Tigers napping. It worked against the varsity, and it worked against the junior high. But they couldn’t complete the hat trick as the ball rolled out of bounds at Albany’s 36. A bad snap pinned Worth County behind the sticks at their own 38, but they settled in after that, with Cole Hardy getting the yardage back and more on two plays to Albany’s 23. From there, Worth County unleashed a combination of power and speed, with Cole Hardy providing the speed and Hudson Cameron providing the power. Hudson Cameron ripped off seven yards to the 16 and then got a block from Gunnar Smith to the 10. Cole Hardy then got outside and took it to the house with 4:02 left in the first. Cole Hardy got a block from Hudson Cameron and added the extra points to put Worth County up 8-6.
Xander Bodle pinned Albany deep in their own territory at the 5-yard line after it caromed off a green shirt and out of bounds. Maverick Cox drove back T.J. Anthony to the two, then Trent Adwell dropped Crawford for no gain. Maverick Cox hurried Smith into an incompletion, and then Trent Adwell hurried him into an interception, which Cole Hardy took to the house with 2:14 left in the first to make it 14-6. For once, there were no penalties on the return.
Hudson Cameron had a big hit to pin Albany at the 17. They tried an option, but the pitch went out of bounds at the 13. They tried the same sweep play that sprung Crawford loose, but Trent Adwell tackled him for a loss back to the 11. They were faced with fourth and 13 at the 14-yard line, but a long pass to Cole Findley kept the drive alive at the 32. Worth County dodged a bullet when a wide-open Albany receiver dropped it, and the Tigers got a turnover on downs at Albany’s 35. It only took one play to take advantage, as Cole Hardy outran everyone to the house with 7:06 left in the half. Liam Cordell got a block from Jace Burns and added the extra points to make it 22-6.
Silas Brown and Wes Brown pinned Albany deep at its own 14. On fourth and 8 at the 16-yard line, Mason Hiatt and Liam Cordell broke up a pass, and Worth County had a short field to work with. A false start moved them back to the 21. Liam Cordell, in his first year at quarterback, threw a perfect ball to Hudson Cameron over the middle, and he did the rest. He started on the right side and weaved his way to the left side and to the house at the 4:30 mark of the second quarter.
A blown coverage left Cole Findley all alone for a long pass, and he took it to the house with 3:23 left in the second. Armani Smith ran in the extra points to make it 30-14. But the onsides kick try rolled out of bounds again, and Worth County had it on the 28. A holding penalty wiped out a touchdown and put it on the 18 but Hudson Cameron burst up the middle just like Hayden Sanders has done so many times this year and took it to the house with 2:55 left. Liam Cordell rolled out to his right and then reversed his field back to the left and scored the extra points to make it 38-14.
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