Panthers Win Cat Fight With Tigers
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
Friday night's Northern Lakes Conference matchup between NorthWood (4-4) and the Warsaw Tigers (5-3) had plenty of excitement, but a Brandon Williams' 34-yard field goal as time expired gave NorthWood the 37-35 victory, sending Warsaw fans home a little down.[[In-content Ad]]"Warsaw and NorthWood have had traditionally very exciting football games," Panthers coach Rich Dodson said. "It keeps the fans in the stands right to the end, and this game was no different."
NorthWood's decisive field goal came on a 39-yard drive that began with only 23.9 seconds on the clock. The Panthers moved the ball thanks to two receptions from Williams, the last eating up 12 yards, and setting NorthWood up at the 17-yard line with 2.2 seconds remaining.
"With 26 seconds, we were 46 yards out, and I didn't want to put a strain on him out there," Dodson said of running a final offensive play with 6.8 seconds remaining in the contest and NorthWood at the 29-yard line. "I thought we had time for another play to get up field a little bit and make it a more manageable field goal."
And the plan worked.
"It's just difficult," Warsaw coach Troy Akers said. "It was a tough game. When you play a lot of young kids, they aren't young anymore. Towards the end the season, they're starting to gel. We lost to a good football team tonight. I'm definitely not ashamed of our effort."
Warsaw's effort surely can't be doubted.
At the half, the Tigers entered the locker room down 21-7, thanks to a half-ending 57-yard touchdown pass from NorthWood junior Skyler Titus to senior Ryne Garner. The reception was set up following a running into the kicker penalty on Warsaw which occurred after NorthWood had just punted the ball away with seconds remaining in the half. Making the score even worse was the fact that two Tigers actually had Garner dead-to-rights at the 20-yard line, but the Panther broke through for the score.
"We wanted to keep NorthWood's offense off the field," Akers said. "We would have liked to have sustained some drives ourselves. We couldn't do it in the first half. When they jump up 21-7 on the final play of the half, it broke our spirit a little bit, but it definitely got our attention."
In the second half, Warsaw scored touchdowns on its first three possessions, seizing the lead at 28-21 with 11:09 remaining in the game. On Warsaw's first three second-half possessions, Tigers senior quarterback Ben Higgins found sophomore tight end Justin Clemens for the first two touchdowns, while senior Thomas Justice scored the third.
After Warsaw went in front, the Panthers responded when Titus scored on an 11-yard touchdown run with 7:27 left on the clock, tying the game at 28-28.
On the night, Titus rushed for 93 yards on 14 carries, scoring four touchdowns.
"I was a little surprised that Titus was able to run free like that," Akers said. "In our scheme, I'm not sure about the responibility of the quarterback. I didn't think Titus would be as big a threat running the football."
And it wasn't only Titus running the ball. Senior running back Kent Biller racked up 212 yards rushing as well, helping NorthWood rush for 358 yards against a defense that had allowed an average of 105 a game.
But even with that amount of yardage being eaten up on the ground, Warsaw was still in the ballgame.
Following a Biller fumble at the Warsaw 2-yard line with 3:49 remaining, the Tigers managed to get the ball out to the 24-yard line. With time running out the Panthers made a defensive stand, forcing a fourth down and one, which Akers opted to go for at the 24-yard line. When the risky plan didn't work out, the Tigers handed the ball over to NorthWood at the 22-yard line with 1:15 showing on the clock. From there, Titus needed only one play to scramble to the end zone.
"I made a bonehead call down here, towards the end of the game," Akers said of the decision to go for it on fourth down deep in Warsaw territory. "I thought we could get NorthWood to not line up correctly and try to get that first down and melt that clock, but it wasn't to be."
One would have thought the decision would be the end of the game, but when the Tigers got the ball back with 1:02 remaining, Higgins hit Justice on a wide receiver screen, which he took 54 yards to the end zone. The reception was Justice's second score of the game and Higgins' fourth touchdown pass.
"Thomas Justice, it was nice to get him back on the field," Akers said. "He showed what his speed can do for you."
Regrettably, on this bizarre night of football, the 23.9 seconds remaining on the clock proved to be too much.
"You have to give a lot of credit to NorthWood," Akers said. "Their offense is so explosive, but there's also a lot of credit to our kids to come back like they did."
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Friday night's Northern Lakes Conference matchup between NorthWood (4-4) and the Warsaw Tigers (5-3) had plenty of excitement, but a Brandon Williams' 34-yard field goal as time expired gave NorthWood the 37-35 victory, sending Warsaw fans home a little down.[[In-content Ad]]"Warsaw and NorthWood have had traditionally very exciting football games," Panthers coach Rich Dodson said. "It keeps the fans in the stands right to the end, and this game was no different."
NorthWood's decisive field goal came on a 39-yard drive that began with only 23.9 seconds on the clock. The Panthers moved the ball thanks to two receptions from Williams, the last eating up 12 yards, and setting NorthWood up at the 17-yard line with 2.2 seconds remaining.
"With 26 seconds, we were 46 yards out, and I didn't want to put a strain on him out there," Dodson said of running a final offensive play with 6.8 seconds remaining in the contest and NorthWood at the 29-yard line. "I thought we had time for another play to get up field a little bit and make it a more manageable field goal."
And the plan worked.
"It's just difficult," Warsaw coach Troy Akers said. "It was a tough game. When you play a lot of young kids, they aren't young anymore. Towards the end the season, they're starting to gel. We lost to a good football team tonight. I'm definitely not ashamed of our effort."
Warsaw's effort surely can't be doubted.
At the half, the Tigers entered the locker room down 21-7, thanks to a half-ending 57-yard touchdown pass from NorthWood junior Skyler Titus to senior Ryne Garner. The reception was set up following a running into the kicker penalty on Warsaw which occurred after NorthWood had just punted the ball away with seconds remaining in the half. Making the score even worse was the fact that two Tigers actually had Garner dead-to-rights at the 20-yard line, but the Panther broke through for the score.
"We wanted to keep NorthWood's offense off the field," Akers said. "We would have liked to have sustained some drives ourselves. We couldn't do it in the first half. When they jump up 21-7 on the final play of the half, it broke our spirit a little bit, but it definitely got our attention."
In the second half, Warsaw scored touchdowns on its first three possessions, seizing the lead at 28-21 with 11:09 remaining in the game. On Warsaw's first three second-half possessions, Tigers senior quarterback Ben Higgins found sophomore tight end Justin Clemens for the first two touchdowns, while senior Thomas Justice scored the third.
After Warsaw went in front, the Panthers responded when Titus scored on an 11-yard touchdown run with 7:27 left on the clock, tying the game at 28-28.
On the night, Titus rushed for 93 yards on 14 carries, scoring four touchdowns.
"I was a little surprised that Titus was able to run free like that," Akers said. "In our scheme, I'm not sure about the responibility of the quarterback. I didn't think Titus would be as big a threat running the football."
And it wasn't only Titus running the ball. Senior running back Kent Biller racked up 212 yards rushing as well, helping NorthWood rush for 358 yards against a defense that had allowed an average of 105 a game.
But even with that amount of yardage being eaten up on the ground, Warsaw was still in the ballgame.
Following a Biller fumble at the Warsaw 2-yard line with 3:49 remaining, the Tigers managed to get the ball out to the 24-yard line. With time running out the Panthers made a defensive stand, forcing a fourth down and one, which Akers opted to go for at the 24-yard line. When the risky plan didn't work out, the Tigers handed the ball over to NorthWood at the 22-yard line with 1:15 showing on the clock. From there, Titus needed only one play to scramble to the end zone.
"I made a bonehead call down here, towards the end of the game," Akers said of the decision to go for it on fourth down deep in Warsaw territory. "I thought we could get NorthWood to not line up correctly and try to get that first down and melt that clock, but it wasn't to be."
One would have thought the decision would be the end of the game, but when the Tigers got the ball back with 1:02 remaining, Higgins hit Justice on a wide receiver screen, which he took 54 yards to the end zone. The reception was Justice's second score of the game and Higgins' fourth touchdown pass.
"Thomas Justice, it was nice to get him back on the field," Akers said. "He showed what his speed can do for you."
Regrettably, on this bizarre night of football, the 23.9 seconds remaining on the clock proved to be too much.
"You have to give a lot of credit to NorthWood," Akers said. "Their offense is so explosive, but there's also a lot of credit to our kids to come back like they did."
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