Cole Ruby Has Breakout Game to Lift Tigers Past Stanberry

For several minutes, the game Friday between Worth County and Stanberry looked like it would live up to its billing as a super-clash between two 5-1 teams. But then Cole Ruby, who had been nursing an ankle injury since the first game of the year, had a breakout game, breaking loose on some long runs to spark the Tigers as they pulled away. What looked like a shootout like Pattonsburg’s games of recent years turned into a halftime rout as Worth County got an 80-19 win. They only needed 16 offensive plays to get 80 points, meaning they averaged five points every time they touched the ball. The fewest plays Worth County needed to engineer a halftime rout was in 2018, when they only needed nine plays to put Albany away by halftime. Brock Healy had a new career high, as Cole Ruby’s carries opened the passing game; Healy completed all five of his passing attempts for 252 yards. Hayden Sanders, Bo Collins, and Bentin Roberts led on the defensive end with nine tackles each.

Stanberry was 5-1 for a reason; like St. Joseph Christian’s Brayden Hoffman, they have a breakaway threat in Pax Schieber, who is only a sophomore. But Bentin Roberts stopped him on first down and Bo Collins stopped him the second time. A spread option was stopped four yards short at the 29, and Stanberry was forced to punt. Jude Archer returned it 65 yards to the house as he got a couple of blocks and raced down the right side, putting Worth County on the board at 6-0 with 10:03 left in the first quarter. But Stanberry answered right back as Pax Schieber answered back, running right through the Worth County defenders down the right side of the field for a tying score. Ryder Smyser blocked the extra point kick to preserve the tie.

Two plays later, Stanberry recovered a fumble and were on the move again. On fourth and two at Worth County’s 18, Pax Schieber showed off his skill, taking a quick pitch to the house with 7:42 left to put Stanberry up 12-6.

That was when Cole Ruby started taking over. After Hayden Sanders picked up eight yards to the 23 on first down, Cole took it to the house with 7:13 left to tie it at 12. Things started to snowball from there, as Stanberry had a bad snap on the first play from scrimmage, and Ryder Smyser beat everyone to the ball and got a scoop and score to put Worth County back in the lead. Jude Archer caught the extra point pass to make it 20-12.

Stanberry went back to their option game which got them daylight on their first possession, but Cole Ruby was there to blow it up. Ethan Lininger dropped Pax Schieber for a loss, and then Jordan Dannar, Bentin Roberts, and a host of Tigers ganged up on Schieber to force a three and out. Worth County got the ball back on its 33, and Cole Ruby took it 47 yards to the house with 4:40 left in the first quarter to make it 26-12.

Pax Scheiber ran into a brick wall as Hudson Cameron and Ethan Lininger were there to bring him down. The teams traded five-yard penalties, and then an incomplete pass set up third and nine at the 33. Hayden Sanders was there to blow up a screen pass, and Stanberry was forced to punt. Once again, Cole Ruby found a big hole, and Ryder Smyser’s block set him free to take it to the house from 47 yards out. Stanberry was ready for Hayden Sanders and his quick bursts through the middle, but he still got a trademark run, turning into a human bowling ball and knocking over three defenders to add the extra points to make it 34-12 with 3:08 left in the first quarter.

Schieber finally started finding daylight, aided by an offsides penalty, and Stanberry started moving into Worth County territory at the 35. But on fourth and three, Bo Collins stopped him cold, and Worth County took over on downs. Jude Archer was dropped for a loss, but then Brock Healy aired one out to Wyatt Scadden for 46 yards to the house with 11:51 left in the second quarter. Jude Archer got a block from Wyatt Scadden to provide the extra points to make it 42-12.

Jordan Dannar and Dylan Smith dropped the Stanberry return man at the 18 on the ensuing kickoff. Pax Schieber met Bentin Roberts after two yards. They tried a counter with Max Hilton with Worth County focusing on Schieber, but they snuffed it out for a loss. Jordan Dannar blitzed and forced a hurried throw, and Stanberry was forced to punt. Stanberry stopped Cole Ruby cold, and Hayden Sanders picked up eight to set up third and two at the 29. An offsides penalty gave the Tigers a first down at the 34. Pax Schieber came out of nowhere on a blitz to sack Brock Healy to set up second and twenty at the 24. But that only made things more interesting, as Healy stayed in and hit Jude Archer for 54 yards. A horsecollar penalty put it on the one, and Hayden Sanders took it the rest of the way with 8:13 left in the half. Jude Archer caught the conversion pass to make it 50-12.

Drew Parman tried a keeper, but Jude Archer stayed home and blew up the play. A sack by Jude Archer and Maverick Cox set up third and ten, but a pick play sprung Parker Ginther loose, and he caught a 33-yard pass to the Tiger 18. Worth County tried to make a stand as Bo Collins batted down a pass, and Jordan Dannar nearly had a spectacular pick at the goal line. But Drew Parman scrambled to the ten, and Schieber converted a fourth and two to the seven. Parman kept an option for one to the five, and Schieber took it to the house with 5:11 left. Stanberry kicked the extra point to make it 50-19. But Worth County only needed one play to respond after they got it at their 15. Brock Healy threw a bubble screen to Jude Archer, Cole Ruby knocked down his man, and that was all Jude needed to take it to the house with 5:01 left in the half. Jude Archer took a jet sweep in for the extra points to make it 58-19.

A false start put Stanberry back at the 20. They switched to a double wing look where Sam Simbro had the option to run or pass. But he was dropped after one yard on his first try and sacked by Ryder Smyser on the next. They put Parman back in at quarterback, but Ryder Smyser got back-to-back sacks, and Stanberry was forced to punt. Worth County got it back at their 21, and they only needed one play to score. Brock Healy threw a strike to Bo Collins over the middle, and he made two defenders miss as he took it to the house with 3:10 left as Worth County reached the 45-point mark.

Stanberry started at the 31, and Jordan Dannar blew up an option play to Schieber. This time, Stanberry elected to go for it on fourth and long from their own 29, and the home run try went astray, and Worth County had a short field to work with. Cole Ruby weaved his way down to Stanberry’s 7, but on a rare miscue, a botched hook-and-ladder was pounced on by Stanberry at the three. Pax Schieber finally found daylight, getting loose for 22 yards to the 25. A short pass to Parker Ginther reached the 30, but Jude Archer got a sack on the next play back to the 20. A short pass to Aiden Graham set up a fourth and eight at their own 27, but Stanberry put Simbro in at quarterback, only for Cole Ruby to bat it down.

With the short field, Worth County only needed one play to hit paydirt. Brock Healy couldn’t find anyone open, but he found a safety valve in Jude Archer, who took it to the house with 32 seconds left in the half. Hayden Sanders threw a strike to Bo Collins for two points to make it 72-19. Worth County got another score in the closing seconds when a mixup on the snap resulted in Bo Collins getting a strip and Cole Ruby taking it to the house with 5.4 seconds left in the half. Bo Collins caught the extra point pass to make it 80-19.

Cole Ruby had 7 carries for 179 yards for the Tigers. Brock Healy completed five of five passes for 272 yards. Jude Archer had 3 catches for 147 yards. Bo Collins had 1 catch for 59 yards, and Wyatt Scadden had 1 catch for 46 yards.

Bentin Roberts, Hayden Sanders, and Bo Collins had 9 tackles for the Tigers. Ryder Smyser had 6, Ethan Lininger had 4, Dylan Smith, Jordan Dannar, and Cole Ruby had 3, Jude Archer and Trenton Adwell 2, and Xander Bodle, Lance Runde, Maverick Cox, and Liam Cordell 1.

Ryder Smyser had 2 sacks. Jude Archer had 1.5, Hayden Sanders had 1, and Maverick Cox 0.5.