By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports Report
TIOGA CENTER — Tioga led 21-0 before Bainbridge-Guilford earned its initial first down of the game, and were never really threatened in a 35-18 win here Friday night in Section IV, Class D crossover football action at Haggerty Field.
"It seems to be our go-to right now, put 35 points on the board, and play good defense, which I thought we did," said Tioga coach Nick Aiello.
"We ran a ton of plays, and I thought we did some really good things on offense.
"Obviously, the penalties kept putting us behind the sticks a little bit, but we were able to keep moving the ball and get the first downs that we needed," noted Aiello.
"And, we spread the ball around, which is a good thing," he added.
After forcing the Bobcats into a three-and-out in their first possession, the Tigers took over at their 24 following a 43-yard punt.
Runs of 10 yards by senior Jayden Duncanson and 9 yards by senior Logan Bellis helped Tioga move the ball to midfield, where junior QB Jackson Bombard connected with sophomore Josh Rought on a 50-yard TD pass, but it was negated by a block-in-the-back call that moved the ball back to the Tioga 48.
Flags were a plague on the Tigers, who were flagged 13 times for 116 yards.
Three plays later, Bombard hooked up with senior Gavin Albrecht for a 33-yard gain. On the next play, Bellis scooted around right end off an option pitch for a 13-yard TD run.
Owen Parker's PAT kick gave Tioga a 7-0 lead with 6:10 remaining in the opening stanza.
After another B-G three-and-out, Tioga started it possession at its own 29, overcame a pair of penalties and an errant option pitch that rolled out-of-bounds and marched 71 yards on 14 plays in a drive that bridged the first two quarters and consumed 8 minutes and 34 seconds from the game clock.
Bombard completed passes of 13 yards to senior Kadin Cole and 22 yards to Albrecht, and Bellis added a 10-yard run.
Bombard capped the time-consuming drive with a 4-yard TD run, and Parker's PAT kick made it 14-0 with 6:34 remaining in the first half.
After their third three-and-out, the Bobcats had 4 yards in total offense.
The Tigers took possession at their 25, overcame a pair of penalties and a fumble snap, and marched 75 yards on nine plays for the score.
The key plays in the drive were all on the ground — runs of 14 yards by Cole, 10 yards by Bombard, 17 yards by senior Dominic Palmer, and 25 yards by Duncanson.
Bellis capped the drive with a 5-yard TD run, and Parker's PAT kick made it 21-0 with 1:41 left in the half.
B-G's offense clicked to life on its ensuing possession with senior QB Conner Davy completing 6 of 9 passes for 50 yards on the nine-play, 65-yard drive. (The Bobcats also benefitted from a late hit call on the Tigers.)
Davy capped the drive with a 9-yard TD pass to Ryan Larsen with 4.2 seconds remaining in the first half to close the gap to 21-6.
"I think we relaxed a little bit and let them score right before the half," said Aiello.
"(Connor Davy) is a good quarterback, though," noted Aiello. "He puts the ball on the money, and he's got a couple good receivers he's been throwing to for a couple years now — the timing is just there.
"We haven't really seen a quarterback like him this year," added Aiello. "He was impressive, showcased his arm, and made some really good throws tonight."
The Tigers rushed for 159 yards in the first half, and ended the game with 316 in the contest.
Aiello said it starts up front.
"It was awful losing Derek (Mills), not only because he was a three-year starter — there isn't a harder working kid than him, but Austin Mumbulo is really stepping up and doing a good job at center," he said.
"We have a lot of good linemen, and we have some guys on the sidelines, who can play, too.
"We're young up front, Mumbulo is our only senior," added Aiello. "So those guys are still learning ... there are two guys who played JV last year — the line is getting better and better rolling into week five. I'm happy with their progress."
Tioga started the second half in B-G territory at the 44-yard-line after junior Shane Platukis returned a squib kick 31 yards.
The Tigers again overcame a pair of penalties, thanks to runs of 15 and 27 yards by Stauder, and 20 yards by Bombard to set up a 5-yard TD run by Bellis with 9:03 remaining in the third quarter. Parker's PAT kick made it 28-6.
After an exchange of possessions, B-G put together another scoring, thanks in large part to a 49-yard run by Isaiah Hampton to the Tioga 16.
Hampton's run accounted for more than three-quarters of B-G's rushing yards in the game. The Bobcats had 64 yards rushing on 15 carries, so just 15 yards on 14 carries aside from that run.
Davy completed a trio of passes in the next five B-G plays, finishing off the drive with a 9-yard TD pass to Parker Buttice with 1:14 remaining in the third quarter to close the gap to 28-12.
On its ensuing possession, Tioga put the game on ice with a seven-play, 53-yard drive.
After a holding call put the Tigers in a second-and-19 predicament, Cole ran for 10 yards, Albrecht for 5 more, and Bellis picked up 9 yards on fourth-and-four.
After a 16-yard pass from Bombard to Stauder moved the ball to the B-G 22, Stauder ripped off a 21-yard run, and then did the honors with a 1-yard TD run with 9:07 remaining in the game. Parker's PAT kick made it 35-12.
Davy and Buttice hooked up on a 4-yard TD pass with 7:22 left in the game to provide the final margin.
Bellis led Tioga's ground game with 93 yards and three TDs on 12 carries, while Stauder had 74 yards and one TD on seven carries, Bombard had 51 yards and one TD on nine carries, Duncanson added 45 yards on five carries, and Cole chipped in with 28 yards on four carries.
Albrecht led Tioga's receivers with three catches for 57 yards, and five other receivers had one catch.
Davy completed 13 of 30 passes for 117 yards, and three TDs. Buttice led B-G with six receptions for 53 yards and two TDs, and Hampton added five catches for 40 yards.
The Tigers improve to 4-1 on the season, and is currently ranked No. 1 in the state in Class D.
"We're playing some good football right now," said Aiello. "Health-wise guys are getting banged up, that mid-season stuff, but if we can work through that and keep working hard ... these guys are confident, and that confidence is growing and it's good to see.
"These guys work hard. No one sees what we do at practice. These guys are hungry.
"Last year is just great motivation for them," added Aiello. "They really want to do well, and I'm proud of them for that."
Tioga travels to Groton next Friday.
——————————
IN PHOTO 1: Tioga's Jackson Bombard. IN TOP PHOTO: Tioga's Max Stauder. ... PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
————————
About Showcase:
Your athlete works hard, and their dedication deserves to be seen. With Showcase by Circle W Sports, you can give your child a professional, online presence that stands out to college coaches and recruiters. Whether your child is aiming for a college roster or just wants to proudly showcase their journey, Showcase helps tell their story the right way.
