Chuck Larsen
The Express-Star
RUSH SPRINGS
November 04, 2006 11:30 am
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A strong second half by fifth-ranked Washington won them the District A-4 title Friday night as they knocked off fourth-ranked Rush Springs 35-21 in front of an overflow Reed Field crowd.
Both came into the fray unbeaten and the first half was about as even as a fan could ask for. Rush came back out of the locker room leading 14-13 but two quick Washington scores in the opening minutes of the third quarter swung momentum over to their side of the field and they never relinquished it.
The Tylers were too much for the Rush defense to handle. Tailback Tyler Simmons ran for 208 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Tyler Hancock rushed for another 107 yards, ran for one touchdown and threw for another.
“They took it to us the second half,” Redskin coach Barry Foster said later. “Simmons is a good runner and Hancock ran the option really well. We just couldn't stop that…we didn't tackle very well.”
The fireworks started right away.
Hancock picked off Trent Parrish to kill Rush's opening drive then quickly guided the Warriors sixty yards for a score. On second and goal from just inside the Redskin ten, he dropped back and went over the middle to tight end Stroad Lanham. Cory Spears tipped the ball halfway to its target but Lanham was still able to haul it in at the goal line for six. James Winchester's PAT gave Washington a 7-0 lead six minutes in.
Rush answered with their own quick drive after Brian Loyd's second 35-plus yard kickoff return set them up at midfield. Dustan McClenny gobbled up two big chunks of yardage then Loyd scooted fifteen yards on a reverse for six. Shayne Ballard split them to tie things at seven with two minutes to go.
Washington struck right back. Simmons' 39-yard burst set the table for a four-yard pitch from Hancock for his first touchdown two minutes into the second quarter but Winchester shanked the PAT.
Now it was McClenny, pushing the ball back up the field for Rush Springs and setting Parrish up at the Warrior 32 for a roll right and a quick strike to Loyd to tie it back up.
Ballard didn't miss and Rush led 14-13 with six minutes left.
Back came Washington, but Simmons fumbled the ball away at the Redskin thirty and Kory Krawtzow covered it for Rush Springs' break. Washington's defense dug in, though, and Rush went nowhere. Parrish quick-kicked the ball away on a third-and-eight and buried the Warriors on their own five. Simmons ran them out of the shadow of their goal posts and the teams went to the break separated by Winchester's muffed PAT.
These things usually come back to haunt teams but Washington didn't let it bother them.
They sent a message to open the third quarter, slicing through the Redskin defense for twelve, twenty-five and two fifteen yard runs before Hancock cut back in from the five to retake the lead. Hancock then ran the deuce to put them out by seven two minutes into the second half.
Rush marched right back up the field but Washington got their break when Kurt Hall picked Parrish off at the Washington ten. Ninety yards and ten plays later Hancock and Simmons optioned right to put Rush into a two-touchdown hole.
Again Loyd had a big return , this time for 21 yards, and Rush got to work from midfield. McClenny rambled for nineteen yards but a key sack by Simmons set them back, facing a fourth-and-fifteen from the Washington sixteen and the biggest play of the game.
Foster reached into his gadget bag and came up with a beaut for a score. Parrish pitched to Loyd who threw to McClenny in the end zone. Ballard's PAT got them within a touchdown with nine minute of football left.
Casey Denton showed the crowd that Loyd wasn't the only guy who could rip a good return, taking Ballard's kickoff at the nine and racing straight up the gut to the 46.
Simmons kept the drive going, tearing up seventeen yards on a crucial fourth and two at midfield and providing Washington the momentum to finish things off. He and Hancock pushed the ball up to the eleven then gave it to freshman Justin Noel for the dagger.
Washington used up seven minutes of clock with a solid, game-killing 54-yard drive to extend to 35-21 with two minutes left and the faithful throngs started to sense it was over.
Sophomore linebacker Josh Zimmer picked Parrish off for the third Warrior pick of the night to seal it and Washington ran the clock out for the win. Both coaches anticipated one of the defenses winning the game and one of them did.
Rush Springs' powerful running game was held to 93 total yards. McClenny had 78 and Loyd had 22. Washington finished with 339.
The Redskins' try for another unbeaten regular season and district title came up short to a very good Washington team, which stayed perfect at 10-0 (8-0). Rush finishes as district runner-up at 9-1 (7-1) but still gets home field for the first round of the playoffs, hosting Sayre at Lewis Field next Friday. We'll have a playoff preview in Wednesday's Express-Star.
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