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Big play Tigers collect win over Riverside |
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Saturday, 26 September 2009 |
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 W-G receiver Christian Lament sprints toward the end zone against Riverside. Staff photo/William Laney By BRYAN CRAFT
Sports Correspondent
WAYNESFIELD — Big plays led to another tally in the win column Friday night for the Waynesfield-Goshen Tigers in its varsity football game against the Riverside Pirates.
The Tigers improved to 4-1, 2-0 in in Northwest Central Conference by picking up a 24-13 win, while Riverside dropped to 1-4, 0-2 on the season.
The Tigers gained 228 yards rushing on 43 attempts, and junior quarterback Connor Mortimer went 4-of-9 passing for 110 yards with two touchdown passes and an interception.
Tiger senior running back Ryan Spencer spearheaded the way on the ground with 11 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown.
The Pirates rushed the ball 32 times for 112 yards, and junior quarterback Bryce Hodge went 10-of-21 for 96 yards through the air. Riverside senior fullback Gunner Whitaker with carried the pigskin 19 times for 96 yards and two touchdowns.
The key to the game came in the third quarter with the Tigers holding a 17-13 lead when they stopped a 13-play Riverside drive on fourth-and-one at the Waynesfield-Goshen 25-yard line.
“It was a good stop,” Waynesfield-Goshen varsity football coach Gary Spencer said. “We came out in the second half and started playing some football. That was a big stop for us.”
The Pirates drive started with 3:44 left in the third quarter, and they turned the ball over on downs with 9:16 to go in the game.
Next, the Tigers ate up most of the clock, before turning the ball over at the Riverside 7-yard line with 5:43 remaining in the contest.
Three plays later and the Pirates went for it on fourth-and-4 at their own 13-yard line.
“I told the team, ‘we’re not just going to lay back and get a punt here, I’ve got faith in you guys, we’re going to get the first down,’ “ said Riverside coach T.R. Doty, a 2000 graduate of Waynesfield-Goshen High School. “And unfortunately we never got that first down, but we never quit. We played hard all night.”
The Tigers stopped their opponents and later scored on a 10-yard reception by senior Keaton Fetter with 2:32 left for the 24-13 lead.
“I didn’t really think they would go for it in that spot,” Spencer said. “I thought maybe they would have time to stop us yet, and try to do something down the field. So, I think when you get somebody in that situation, you try and put them away.”
Coming out to start the second half, Waynesfield-Goshen scored on their first drive with a 47-yard run by Ryan Spencer for the 10-7 lead.
Riverside answered with a 51-yard rushing score by Whitaker for the 13-10 lead.
On the Blue and Gold’s next possession, the Tigers scored on a 43-yard reception by senior Christian Lament from Mortimer for the 17-13 edge. On the drive, Waynesfiled-Goshen had a 37-yard run by Ryan Spencer.
It was a defensive ball game in the first half, as the Tigers left the field for the break, trailing 10-3.
Riverside scored midway through the first period on a 6-yard run by Whitaker.
The Tigers answered with a 23-yard field goal by Fetter with 3:07 until halftime. The drive started out at the 36-yard line of the Pirates, after senior punt returner Nate Brassell returned the ball to the 49-yard line and there was an unsportsmanlike penalty.
On defense for the Tigers, Taylor Miller had a sack, senior lineman Caleb Comstock added a tackle for a loss, and senior Charlie Presnell stripped the football, causing a fumble for a turnover.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 07 October 2009 )
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