Brock Healy, Tigers Hold Off Resurgent Princeton

Worth County turned back a resurgent Princeton squad Friday 30-20, not gaining any separation until the final quarter.

With the North Harrison kids joining the cooperative as well as everyone else coming back, Princeton was a totally different team than the one which went 0-10 last year and that Worth County hung 94 points on last year. Their first test was against Mound City. The Panthers are built to run and to stop the run, and the result was a defensive slugfest in which Mound City controlled the ball and the time of possession, moved the ball all night long, but couldn’t score. Mound City ran 61 plays in that game, 55 of which were running plays, while Princeton ran 35 plays.

The difference in Princeton’s 30-0 win over the Panthers was the combination of Gage Fortner and Wyatt Maize, who picked right back up where they left off the year before, when they played for Pattonsburg. Fortner completed 15 of 21 passes for 219 yards, and Wyatt Maize had 10 catches for 198 yards and three scores, including a 61 yard strike.

On the defensive side, Princeton was as different as night and day, getting six tackles for losses and keeping Mound City out of the end zone. Kash Holt and Gavin Tatum had 11 tackles each. Bowe Ussery had 10, Mitchell Walker had 7, Ryker Fortner and Randy Wilson had 6, Devin Alton had 5, Wyatt Maize and Kolton Schurke had 4, Dynten Hale and Max Walkup 3, and Michael Parsons and Gavin Stockman 1 each. Gavin Stockman had a fumble recovery.

Against Rock Port, Princeton went toe to toe with them for the whole first half, trailing 34-27. But a botched kickoff at the start of the second half gave Rock Port the ball deep in Princeton territory, and they took it in and scored. They would pull away to a 64-41 lead before Wyatt Maize ran back a kickoff to cut it to 64-47 late.

Rock Port relied heavily on Brock Holmes again, giving him the ball 36 times for 192 yards. They diversified their passing game as Princeton held down Jack Meyerkorth as well as anyone the last two years, holding him to three catches for 59 yards. But Logan Ellis had 4 catches for 116 yards and Reid Ellis, who burned Worth County three different times, had 3 catches for 73 yards.

For Princeton, Gage Fortner had 18 completions in 27 attempts for 311 yards. Wyatt Maize had 11 catches for 200 yards and other receivers started stepping up as well. Judd Henke had 2 catches for 51 yards and Mitchell Walker had 3 catches for 44 yards, Bowe Ussery had 1 catch for 13 yards and Kolton Schurke had 1 catch for 3 yards.

Mitchell Walker, who picked up a lot more muscle during the offseason, came alive for Princeton. After he was bottled up by Mound City, he came alive with 11 carries for 159 yards, including a 65-yard burst. Wyatt Maize had 2 carries for 68 yards. Gage Fortner had 6 carries for 38 yards. For his efforts, Wyatt Maize got named the GRC Player of the Week.

Mitchell Walker had 11 tackles for Princeton. Kash Holt had 9, Gavin Tatum, Ryker Fortner, and Max Walkup 8, Randy Wilson 5, Wyatt Maize 4, Judd Henke, Kolton Schurke, and Gavin Stockman 3, Reed Mitchell 2, and Michael Parsons and Dynten Hale 1.

Worth County had every chance to put Princeton away early as they overcame a false start, with Hayden Sanders getting a block from Bo Collins and getting the ball to the Princeton 31. Then, Jude Archer accelerated his way past the Princeton defenders and to the house with 9:02 left. Archer made a leaping catch in the end zone to make it 8-0.

Then, when Kash Holt dropped a sure six points and Bo Collins forced a fumble that Jordan Dannar recovered, it looked like Worth County would put the game away early. Carries by Cole Ruby got it down to the 17, and Hayden Sanders got blocks from Jace Burns and Jude Archer to the 11. Jude Archer fumbled the ball on the 7, but got back on top of it at the 7. Cole got to the five before being turned back by Wyatt Maize and Mitchell Walker. But a halfback pass from Jude Archer fooled nobody as he planted the turf, and Hayden Sanders missed Jude Archer open in the end zone and was sacked. Another halfback pass likewise fooled nobody as Gavin Tatum sacked Archer at the 18 to give Princeton the ball back on downs.

That sequence gave Princeton hope, and they wasted no time responded as Judd Henke made a spectacular catch with Bentin Roberts draped all over him at the Tiger 31 to flip the field. With Caleb New out, Princeton was going after Roberts, his replacement, but Bentin was up to the challenge. He broke up a pass on the next play. Princeton took too long to get the play in and Hayden Sanders charged in and got a sack at the 32. But short passes to Holt and Maize gave Princeton a first down at the Tiger 21.

Jude Archer broke up a long pass as Ryder Smyser came in with a heavy rush. But Mitchell Walker picked up where he left off last week and picked up ten to the Tiger 11. On the next play, a mixup on coverage by Worth County left Ryker Fortner wide open, and he grabbed the score with 2:40 left in the first. Jude Archer and Bo Collins broke up the conversion pass to keep Worth County ahead 8-6.

But the penalty bug that plagued the Tigers the first two weeks and that has wiped out one long return after another reared its ugly head. Wyatt Scadden ran back the kickoff for an apparent touchdown, only for it to be called back to the 31 by a holding penalty. Instead of a score, Worth County went three and out as nobody could block Mitchell Walker on that series, and he was making a living in the Tiger backfield.

Princeton started at its own 15, and Gage Fortner scrambled to the 31. A bubble screen to Walker netted ten yards to the 39. Princeton took too long to get the play in and nearly got a Delay of Game penalty and barely got the snap off, but Fortner aired it out to Wyatt Maize, who caught it on the two. Princeton got a Delay penalty that put them on the seven, only for Gage Fortner to scramble to the five and for Mitchell Walker to take a counter to the house as the tackling broke down that play. Ryker Fortner was tackled inches short and the Princeton lead stood at 12-8 with 10:58 left in the half.

Worth County started on its own 16 and got 10 yards off a counter to the 26. Hayden Sanders picked up five to the 31 and got a block from Bo Collins to get to the 38. Jude Archer got around the edge to the Princeton 36. Hayden Sanders was dropped by Mitchell Walker at the 35, but broke two tackles and muscled his way to the Princeton 2.

A holding penalty brought the ball back to the 12, but two carries by Cole Ruby got the ball into the end zone with 6:08 left. Hayden Sanders injured his hip flexor on the series, and Brock Healy was pressed into service. Princeton was flagged for Roughing the Passer, and Jude Archer ran it in to put the Tigers up 16-12.

A bad snap pinned Princeton back at the 10 on the next series, and Jude Archer ran back the punt to the Princeton 39. Hayden Sanders tried to come back, but couldn’t do anything with it, and Worth County went three and out.

Bentin Roberts gave Worth County another chance with a pick at the Princeton 39, but once again, Worth County shot itself in the foot with a holding penalty that moved them backwards and they were forced to punt. There was a heartstopping moment for both sides as Worth County juggled the snap and Wyatt Scadden barely got it away, and Wyatt Maize nearly muffed the punt before recovering it.

Cole Ruby and Ethan Lininger flushed Fortner out of the pocket and he stepped out of bounds on Princeston’s next series. Jude Archer broke up a pass, and Bo Collins dropped Walker on a counter play to end their last threat of the half.

Worth County was up 16-12 at the half and had a golden opportunity to take control after Jude Archer got a block from Jordan Dannar and made it to the 37. With Hayden Sanders out, Brock Healy guided the Tigers down to the Princeton 24. But on third and one, a mixup on the snap was swarmed under by Princeton, and then took over on the 27.

A pair of catches by Judd Henke put Princeton into Worth County territory at the 34. A screen pass to Mitchell Walker put the ball on the 20, and the tackling broke down for Worth County as Wyatt Maize took a shovel pass 20 yards to the house with 8:15 left in the third to put them ahead. Judd Henke caught the extra point pass to make it 20-16.

Princeton went for the kill with an onsides kick, but it was shanked and Worth County had a golden opportunity to go back in front. But for the fifth time, Worth County failed to convert a drive that began in Princeton territory as three false start penalties and a sack on a halfback pass play that fooled nobody derailed the drive. At that point, Worth County was up to eight penalties.

Wyatt Maize ran back the ball to the 33, but Princeton got the penalty bug as a holding penalty killed the drive.

For the sixth time, Worth County got the ball into Princeton territory, only to come up short. They started at their own 27, and Brock Healy picked up six to the 33. Jude Archer met a swarm led by Devin Alton and three others at the 35. But Cole Ruby picked up the first down to the 40. Walker dropped Jude Archer at the 39 for a loss, only for Brock Healy to connect with Jude Archer at the Princeton 20. Brock scrambled to the 14. Jude Archer was stopped at the 15, but a short pass to Cole Ruby set up fourth and one at the 11. But a bad snap killed the drive, and Archer was swarmed under at the 12.

With a golden opportunity to run out the clock, Princeton started marching down the field, with Mitchell Walker getting three carries for 13 yards to the 25. Ryder Smyser dropped him for no gain, but Wyatt Maize caught an eight yard pass to the 33 and Walker caught one for 21 to the Tiger 26. But then Wyatt Maize met a brick wall at the 26, and Mitchell Walker met Bo Collins at the 25. A bubble screen went nowhere, and a fourth down pass was broken up by Jude Archer, and Worth County had the ball at their own 27. A false start put them back to the 22, but Bo Collins’ catch and run put the ball on the 35, where it was third and two. Jude Archer caught a short pass for a first down at the 40, and Jude Archer made a juggling catch at the Princeton 28. Bo Collins caught a short pass to the 21, and then Cole Ruby accelerated, got a block from Jude Archer, dove for the pylon, and hit it for the score to put Worth County back in front 22-20 with 4:55 left in the game.

Princeton has one of the most dangerous return men in the area in Wyatt Maize, but Dylan Smith ran him out of bounds at the 27. A holding penalty put the ball on the 17. Princeton tried its counter play to Mitchell Walker, but Ethan Lininger dropped him at the 13 and Ryder Smyser cleaned up. On the next pass play, Bo Collins tipped it in the air, had it zeroed in for a pick-six, only for Gage Fortner to come out of nowhere from his quarterback slot and knock it out before he could gather it in. A delay of game put Princeton on the 8, and Wyatt Maize caught a short pass at the 15. On fourth and 22, Princeton elected to go for it with 3:11 left, but Jordan Dannar broke it up to give Worth County the ball on downs.

Cole Ruby picked up six to the nine and then met Kash Holt and Gavin Tatum at the 8. Cole Ruby’s cutback picked up three and a first down at the five. Jude Archer was met for no gain. Instead of going down at the one like Rock Port did during the first week, Brock Healy ran it in with 1:03 left to make it 28-20. The play could have been a blessing in disguise for Princeton, who could have taken it in and scored and tied with an extra point conversion. But Wyatt Scadden caught the extra point pass to put the game out of reach at 30-20.

Worth County held its breath on the ensuing kickoff as Wyatt Maize caught the return, but Bentin Roberts, Brock Healy, and Hudson Cameron met him at the 39. Bo Collins and Ethan Lininger hurried Fortner, and his deep throw to an open Bowe Ussery was behind him. They aired it out to Wyatt Maize, but Wyatt Scadden played perfect safety help and the ball was too far. Another home run ball was too far for Ryker Fortner and Worth County knelt out the clock.