Potosi/Cassville squeaks past River Ridge
Andrew Nies tries to fight through tackle by a pair of Potosi/Cassville defenders. (A.J. Gates/Grant County Herald Independent)
Ty Adrian works his way up the field for the Timberwolves. (A.J. Gates/Grant County Herald Independent)
By A.J. Gates
In a battle between two evenly matched football teams, the deciding factor in Potosi/Cassville’s 20-18 victory over the host Timberwolves of River Ridge last Friday night, essentially came down to extra-point attempts.
Offensively, the host Timberwolves scored three touchdowns Friday night and had 309 yards of total offense, compared to the Chieftains who also scored three touchdowns and had 271 yards of offense.
The difference though was that Potosi/Cassville was 2-of-3 on extra-point kicks, while River Ridge was 0-for-1 on extra-point kicks and 0-for-2 on two-point conversion attempts.
“Everyone has a package of two-point plays that they feel confident in, and unfortunately ours just weren’t successful,” said River Ridge coach Wade Winkers.
With the win, coach Mark Siegert’s Chieftains remain unbeaten, at 2-0 in Six Rivers conference action and 4-0 overall. The Timberwolves fell to 0-2 in league play and 2-2 overall.
Neither team Friday night could get out to a two-possession lead over the other, making for a back and forth contest that came down to the final seconds.
River Ridge essentially dominated the first half, taking a 6-0 lead into the locker room, while limiting the Chieftains to just 44 yards of offense and two first downs.
Senior fullback Andrew Nies capped off a 10-minute scoring drive for the Timberwolves on a one-yard touchdown plunge with 6:40 to play in the second quarter. River Ridge’s missed extra-point kick left them with a 6-0 advantage.
In the first half the River Ridge defense also overcame a lost fumble on the 49-yard line with just under five minutes to play, and a fake punt attempt by the Chieftains near midfield.
“We weren’t getting tackles for loss, but we were limiting their gains to one or two yards and forcing some punts,” said coach Winkers of his defense. “I think a big part of it was, offensively we had a 10-minute drive and we kept the ball out of their hands. We had two possessions and a touchdown, and they only had one possession with around five minutes left in the second quarter.”
Potosi/Cassville didn’t respond until late in the third quarter, when quarterback Dawson Weber connected with Oliver Post on a screen pass to his senior tight end, who took it 68 yards to the house. The extra-point kick by Aaron Edge gave the Chieftains a 7-6 lead with 4:50 to play in the third quarter.
Following a defensive stop by the Potosi/Cassville defense, the Chieftain offense put together an 11-play scoring drive that began at midfield. Senior Konner Spitzack hauled in a three-yard touchdown pass from Weber in the back of the end zone on fourth and goal, while the extra-point kick by Edge extended the lead to 14-6 with 8:06 to play in the contest.
River Ridge wasted little time cutting into their deficit, using eight plays to cover 68 yards, getting a 20-yard TD run from Nies. Looking to even the score, a bubble screen to the right side of the field came up short, leaving the score 14-12 with just 3:27 to play.
Choosing not to on-side kick, the Timberwolves saw Potosi/Cassville take possession on their own 31-yard line with 3:23 showing on the clock.
On just their fourth play of the series, Weber busted through a huge hole to the right side of the line on second-and-six, and raced 58 yards to the end zone for a quick score. On a chance to make it a two-score game, the extra-point kick by Edge was off the mark, leaving Potosi/Cassville with a 20-12 lead with 2:15 to play.
Following the ensuing kick off, River Ridge took over at their own 32-yard line with 2:09 to play and one timeout at their disposal.
A nice first-down fingertip catch for 19 yards by sophomore Kameren Reynolds got things started for the Timberwolves, and was followed by a nice run by Andrew Nies. Then, on just their third play of the series, quarterback Brandon Davis connected with Nies on a wheel route, which he took 12 yards to the end zone with 1:14 showing on the clock.
“We practice the two-minute drill every week, and we’ve shown over the years that if we get in that scenario we can move the ball,” said coach Winkers. “The guys executed really well to get us down there and give us a chance.”
Needing the two-point conversion to tie the game, Davis rolled out to his right only to be pressured by Oliver Post, who forced an errant incomplete pass.
The 20-18 victory for the Chieftains was sealed with the recovery of an on-side kick and two kneel downs by the Potosi/Cassville offense.
Offensively for the Timberwolves, Andrew Nies rushed for a team-high 135 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries, while also hauling in one pass for a 12-yard touchdown. Defensively, he also led the Timberwolves with 13 tackles, including a forced fumble.
“He played a great game on both sides of the football,” Winkers said of his workhorse. “We leaned on him. Obviously we had to throw the ball at the end, but we want to run the ball through our fullback, and he had a lot of hard yards and he’s beat up.”
River Ridge finished with 176 yards on the ground, while Davis completed 12-of-16 passing attempts for 133 yards and one touchdown through the air. Drake Barrineau had four receptions for 42 yards, while Ty Adrian had five catches for 39 yards.
While River Ridge’s conference title hopes are essentially over, they still control their own destiny when it comes to securing a playoff spot. Following this Friday night’s contest against visiting Riverdale, the Timberwolves take on Boscobel, Iowa-Grant, Seneca-Wauzeka-Steuben and Pecatonica/Argyle.
