Tigers thump Buckaroos
By Scott Ford - Argus Observer
Sunday, September 2, 2007 2:18 AM PDT
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| Ontario’s Loren Stewart looks for a seam in the Buckaroos defense. Stewart scored two of the Tigers seven touchdowns on their way to a 53-14 season-opening win. |
Ontario - Bates, Bates, Bates was the chant after the game between Ontario and Lowry Friday night at Tiger Stadium. Ontario began it season with a 53-14 thumping of the Buckaroos in front of a decent sized crowd.
“It was an emotional time,” Tiger head coach Randy Waite said.
The game was a clear mismatch as the bigger, faster and stronger Tiger team had their way with the visiting 3A Nevada team.
In a tribute to coach Chuck Bates, who passed away unexpectedly in July, the team and fans honored the coach with a minute of silence and the releasing of Cardinal and Corn balloons.
Those balloons floated to the heavens where Bates gave his blessing on the team resulting in a huge season opening win.
Lowry’s offense ran into a buzz saw in the Tiger defense on its first series of downs. The Ontario “D” came onto the field pumped up and shut down the Buckaroos on three straight negative yardage plays forcing Lowry to punt from it own 10 yard line.
Ontario first possession was a good one, beginning on Lowry’s 35 yard line and the Tigers only needed four plays to find paydirt.
Jake Turner set things up on the opening drive with back-to-back carries netting 30 yards giving the Cardinal and Corn a first and goal at the five yard line. A penalty set the Tigers back to the 10, but senior running back Loren Stewart punched the ball into the endzone uncontested on a mis-direction play giving the Tigers an early 6-0 lead. Ontario Kicker, Jacob Haueter booted the ball through the uprights for the 7-0 lead with 8:46 remaining in the opening quarter.
Haueter gave the Tiger defense a huge lift all night as he continually kicked the ball into the end zone on the kickoffs forcing the Buckaroos to begin each drive at their own 20 yard line.
Lowry’s second possession was a little better than its first when they mustered nine yards before being forced to punt from their own 26 yard line following a penalty.
Again the Tigers got the ball back in Lowry territory. This time they began on the 45 yard line. Stewart wasted no time in getting back to the endzone, this time the drive was two plays. Stewart first carry netted him seven yards, and on a second and three from the 38 yard line, Stewart busted loose on a 38-yard scamper to boost the Tiger lead to 13-0. Haueter’s kick was true and the Tigers lead 14-0 with 5:30 to play in the first quarter.
By that point of the game the tone was already set.
Haueter boots the ball into the end zone, the Tiger defense come out and crushed the Buckaroos offense, then the Ontario offensive machine pushes the ball down the field for the score.
The third Tiger touchdown came at the 3:29 mark when quarterback Bryson Sap rolled to his right, cut back and weaved his was 25 yards down the field for the 21-0 lead.
Ontario got the ball right back when Lowry fumbled the pigskin on its second play on their next possession.
The Tiger offense thanked its defense with a four play 22-yard drive ending in a one-yard score by Matt Mauney to extend the lead 28-0 with a minute to play in quarter number one.
Lowry never was able to cross mid-field in the opening half of play. In fact the closest they came to the 50 yard line was the 33 yard line - credit the Tigers stingy defense.
Ontario added 22 more points in the second quarter with the defense chipping in to score a touchdown of their own.
With Lowry facing a fourth and nine at its own 21 yard line, the Buckaroos dropped back to punt. Ontario’s Turner laid out and got the block sending the football bouncing towards the Tiger end zone where Mark Clark pounced on the pigskin for the score ending an impressive first half of play by the Tigers who were sporting a 50-0 lead.
Lowry did manage to score in the second half, both off the Tiger JV squad and Ontario opted for field goal attempts. Haueter tried twice to add to the score. On the first, a 41 yard attempt, Haueter had the leg, but missed wide right, but on the second attempt, his kick was true on a 39 yard boot.
In all, the Buckaroos ended the opening half of play with negative six yards rushing and only 16 yards passing for a total of 10 total yards of offense. Lowry ended the contest with 144 total yards, most all of which was earned off the Tiger JV team in the second half.
The Tigers did not amass a ton of yards, due primarily to the great starting field position the defense gave them. In all the Tigers tallied 231 yards on the ground and added eight from the air for a game total of 239 yards, scoring seven touchdowns and one field goal.
Ontario will hunker down this week as it prepares to host Middleton. In last season’s contest, Middleton gave the Tigers a hard-fought game with Ontario pulling out the 28-19 win.
Waite told his team after the game that they could enjoy the victory until midnight, but then they had to begin to focus on Middleton. He added that Middleton will come out and punch them in the mouth and his team needed to be ready for a more physical game this Friday.
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