Falcons sink their claws into Southern Tornadoes
By: Meg Kuczinski
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CORNING, Ohio (WOUB) – The Southern Tornadoes met the Miller Falcons on their turf for the first week of the post season. Neither team had ever been able to achieve a playoff win, but only one team could move on in the Region 19 match-up. The Falcons would take home the win defeating the Tornadoes 27-18.
Zander Bice led the charge for the Falcons on their first drive, but Miller struggled to push the ball down the field. Southern forced a punt, but the Falcons were able to recover it deep in Tornado territory.
The Falcons picked up the game on the 28-yard line, with Bryce Dorsey making moves on offense. A little more than halfway through the first quarter, Logan Doughty found the endzone for a 1-yard rushing touchdown, setting the score at 7-0.
The Tornadoes began their drive, but an interception from Logan Doughty gave the Falcons control once again. Doughty found himself in the endzone just two minutes later, giving Miller a 13-0 lead.
Southern found momentum on their second drive. Carson Reuter and Zach Thomas combined for a 19-yard gain, and with the addition of Wyatt Smith, it was not long before the Tornadoes found themselves in the red zone. Reuter took the rock to the house to set the score at 13-6 with just two minutes left in the first quarter, but Miller blocked their extra point.
Both teams found themselves in a defensive stalemate until halfway through the second quarter. The Tornadoes found themselves at the 20-yard line, and a pass from Nathan Shuster to Zach Thomas gave them a slight edge. However, after a holding call on Scotty Thomas, the Tornadoes confidence was shaken. Shuster threw an interception to Ethan Barrett to give Miller back the ball.
The Falcons started at their 40-yard line, and on their next play, Zander Bice fought off a hoard of Tornadoes for a 60-yard rushing touchdown. Miller went for the two-point conversion, with Logan Doughty setting the score at 21-6 only seven minutes into the second quarter.
Neither team was able to make any gains until the third quarter.
Maddox Bolyard recovered Southern’s fumble for his second fumble recovery of the night. From there, Zander Bice drove the Falcons down the field so Logan Doughty could find the end zone once again for a seven-yard rushing touchdown to set the score at 27-6.
A few drives later, Miller has the ball once again, but Doughty’s pass gets picked off by Brandon Laudermilt, and the Tornadoes swept the ball away to start the fourth quarter.
Southern pushed their way down the field until Doughty picked off Shuster’s pass on Miller’s one yard line. However, the Falcons got stuck behind Southern’s defense, and the Tornadoes scored a safety for a two-point gain to set the score at 27-8.
Southern began to gain momentum as a host of Tornadoes pushed their way down the field. Shuster found himself in the end zone for a four-yard rushing touchdown to make it 27-16, and Zach Thomas completed a successful two-point conversion to make it 27-18.
A few plays later, the Tornadoes have the ball once again, but Doughty picks off Shuster’s pass once again.
The Miller Falcons ended the Southern Tornadoes’ season with a final score of 27-18.