(by Don Meador, Allen County Schools, September 16, 2019)
The Allen County-Scottsville Patriots could not slow down one of the state’s best Class 3A football team last Friday. In the home opener at Patriot Field, the Glasgow Scotties---ranked sixth in their class last week by the Associated Press sportswriters---powered their way to 481 total yards in a 50-7 romp over AC-S, the third time this year that Glasgow has scored 50 or more points in game.
Glasgow senior quarterback Tanner Abernathy
shredded the AC-S defense like a meat slicer. Abernathy connected on 14 of 19
passes for 278 yards. Nick Mitchell rushed for 137 yards to lead the running
attack for Glasgow.
As Elizabethtown and Mercer County done in back to back games to start the season, the Scotties scored on their first possession. Mitchell capped a 76-yard drive with a one-yard run. Jamayon Long’s successful two-point conversion staked the visitors to an 8-0 lead at the 8:25 mark of the first.
Abernathy lifted his team to a two-touchdown
lead on their next possession. The senior found wide out Hunter Scott open for
a 40-yard scoring play. The point-after gave the Scotties a 15-0 lead just over
seven minutes into the game.
Inside the first minute of the second period, Long scored on a 12-yard sweep. The PAT lifted the Scotties to a commanding 22-0 lead. Mitchell’s 10-yard run at the 10:10 mark capped the first half scoring for the Scotties enabling Glasgow to build a commanding 29-0 halftime lead.
The Patriots lone score of the game came at the 7:39 mark of the third. Taking advantage of penalty calls on the Scotties and small yardage gains, the AC-S offense slowly moved the length of the field. Landon Witcher---who spent much of the first half being examined by the AC-S medical staff on the sidelines---returned to the game and scored on an 11-yard run. Thorny Walker’s point-after was successful.
Glasgow responded with a quick scoring
drive. A 67-yard screen pass from Abernathy to Long led to a two-yard touchdown
run by Mitchell at the 3:51 mark of the third. The extra point failed leaving
Glasgow with a 35-7 lead.
Mitchell scored for the fourth time on an
11-yard run at the 9:47 point of the fourth period. The successful two-point
conversion staked Glasgow to a 43-7 lead and started a running clock. Reserve
signal-caller John Myers passed for a six-yard touchdown late in the game with
the extra point providing the final 43-point spread.
The stats reflected Glasgow’s dominance on offense and defense. Glasgow rushed for 189 yards to compliment the passing attack that contributed 292 yards. Glasgow held the Patriots to 106 total yards.
Despite the lopsided stats, AC-S was able to
see solid individual play on the defensive side of the ball. Witcher was
credited with a season-high seven solo tackles, an assisted tackle, an
interception, and a pass break-up. Teammate Jaquez McPeak was in on eight
tackles. Recorded a seven-yard sack, and forced a fumble---pounced on by
Christopher Holland. Will Moore had four solo and four assisted tackles. Zane
Ward recorded six total tackles and a pass break-up with Dillon Rookstool in on
five total tackles.
Offensively, it was a long night for a Patriot offense that found moving the pigskin very challenging. The running combination of McPeak, Witcher, Holland, Rookstool, and Trace McIntyre managed a mere 61 yards on 31 attempts---less than two yards per attempt. McPeak’s four carries for 23 yards led the way. McIntyre was
held to a season-low 26 yards passing.
AC-S (0-4) will look to regroup and return
to the win column this Friday in a Class 4A, Region 1, and District 2 game at
Warren Central (0-4).