Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - The Plymouth Rockies have spent a lot of time in Kosciusko County this season. They traveled to Warsaw and left with a 30-23 win in double overtime. The Rockies, 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference, needed double overtime once again as they escaped Warrior Field with a 31-30 win over host Wawasee Friday night.
The Warriors got a one-yard touchdown run from quarterback Joe Leach with 1:44 left in regulation and a two-point conversion pass from Leach to Andrew Mock to force the game into overtime.
The overtime format gives each team four downs, barring penalty or turnover, to score from the opponents 10-yard line.
Wawasee's erratic kicking game forced the Warriors into the late two-point conversion try but served as a savior in the first overtime.
Kicker Mike Gunderson nailed a 30-yard field goal after Plymouth's Rick Davis split the uprights from 21 yards out to tie things up at 24-24 and force a second overtime.
The Warriors received the ball first in the second overtime session and needed just three plays before Leach got his second one-yard touchdown run of the night.
With a steady stream of rain falling, Gunderson's extra point attempt hit the left upright and fell short of the crossbar to keep the Warriors lead at a tenuous 30-24.
The Rockies ran the same play in their second overtime possession. On first and second down, Plymouth quarterback Chad Clinton failed to connect with 6-foot-4 tight end Alex Quintana on a fade route to the left corner of the west endzone at Warrior field.
The third time was the charm for the Rockies as Quintana finally reeled in a pass despite being draped by Wawasee cornerback Eric Brown.
Davis came in and was able to sneak the extra point through for the win.
Davis was also on the receiving end of a three-yard touchdown pass from Clinton 7:23 into the second quarter to give Plymouth a 14-0 first-half lead.
The Rockies scored their first touchdown of the game after tailback Brent Corbett ran it in from four yards out on their first possession of the game. Plymouth started its drive on the Warriors' 31-yard line when a Mike Conrad punt took a Rockies bounce and went just 19 yards.
Plymouth started three of its five first-half possessions on the Warrior side of the 50 yards line.
"They had field position the entire first half," said Wawasee head coach Joe Rietveld. "We were going 70 or 80 yards and they were going 30."
Rietveld's team showed some resolve, scoring with 3:05 left in the first half when Leach found Nick Richardson from 21 yards out and with a Gunderson kick cut the Rockies lead to 14-7.
Gunderson's missed extra point came after Rob McKibben rumbled in from seven yards out with 7:33 left in the third quarter to cut the Plymouth lead to one point at 14-13.
Five series later, the Rockies started at the Warriors 32-yard line after a 28-yard punt return by speedy Adam Morris.
Clinton capped the drive with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Quintana with 0:45 left in the third quarter.
Clinton threw for 192 yards but was pressured by a tenacious Warrior defense led by the line. Shelby Kelly, Creighton Kaiser, Chris Anderson and Trent Weisser spent a great deal of time in the Plymouth backfield.
The Rockies rushed for just 82 yards on 36 carries and Clinton was intercepted three times.
While the Warriors manhandled Plymouth up front, the skilled and experienced secondary of Wawasee couldn't contain the likes of Quintana and Davis.
Plymouth had six pass plays that went for more than 15 yards, while its longest rushes of the night were a couple of 12-yard carries.
"I was pretty confident we could stop the big play and we did for the most part," said Rietveld.
Wawasee had several big runs from McKibben and a 39-yard pass from Leach to Austin Bender, but for the most part lacked the explosiveness that Rietveld-led Warrior teams have become known for.
The Warriors rushed 52 times for 220 yards (4.3 yards per carry) but completed just eight passes for 97 yards.
McKibben led the Warriors on the ground with 154 yards on 26 carries while Leach had his highest carry total of the year with 22 for 62 yards.
Leach's favorite target Friday night was Bender who reeled in four catches for 62.
The Warriors won the turnover battle with interceptions by Conrad, Cole Garland and Brown. Wawasee also forced two Plymouth fumbles but failed to recover either.
Brown's interception and subsequent return came late in the fourth quarter and left the Warriors with seven seconds. Leach aired out a Hail Mary pass that fell short of Mock.
Plymouth was led on the ground by Corbett's 43 yards on 17 carries.
Quintana ended his night for the Rockies with four catches for 81 yards.
The Warriors drop to 4-2 overall and 2-2 in the NLC. Wawasee is next in action Friday at the Tigers Athletic Complex to take on Warsaw for the "W" Trophy.
PLYMOUTH 31, WAWASEE 30 (2 OT)
Plymouth 7 7 7 0 3 7 - 31
Wawasee 0 7 6 8 3 6 -30
P W
First downs 17 16
Rushing yards 36-82 52-220
Passing yards 192 97
Comp.-Att.-Int. 14-30-3 8-20-1
Total offense 274 317
Fumbles/lost 2-2 0-0
Punts/avg. 3-44.3 5-29.8
Penalties/yards 7-68 5-60
First Quarter
P -ÊBrent Corbett 4 run (Rick Davis kick) 6:42, 7-0
Second Quarter
P - Chad Clinton 3 pass to Davis (Davis kick) 7:23, 14-0
W -ÊJoe Leach 21 pass to Nick Richardson (Mike Gunderson kick) 3:05, 14-7
Third Quarter
W -ÊRob McKibben 7 run (kick failed) 7:33, 14-13
P -ÊClinton 31 pass to Alex Quintana ( Daivs kick) 0:45, 21-13
Fourth Quarter
W -ÊLeach 1 run (Leach conversion pass to Mock) 1:44, 21-21
First Overtime
P - Davis 21 FG 24-21
W -ÊGunderson 30 FG 24-24
Second Overtime
W -ÊLeach 1 run (kick failed) 30-24
P - Clinton 10 pass to Quintana (Davis kick) 31-30
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing - Plymouth, Brent Corbett 17-43, Chad Clinton 13-25, Coty Singleton 6-14; Wawasee, Rob McKibben 26-154, Joe Leach 22-62, Andrew Mock 3-1
Passing - Plymouth, Clinton 14-30-3 3 TD, 3 INT; Wawasee, Leach 8-20-97 1 TD, 1 INT
Receiving - Plymouth, Alex Quintana 4-81, Rick Davis 5-52, Corbett 4-41, Singleton 1-18; Wawasee, Austin Bender 4-62, Nick Richardson 1-21, McKibben 2-8, Mock 1-6
