Scoop27
09-03-2016, 08:06 AM
WHARTON — Facing a Wharton Tiger defense that just never let up all night, the Columbia Roughneck offense was limited to 169 total yards in a 23-14 loss Friday at Tiger Stadium.
After an hour delay because of lightning, the game went on without any more interruptions.
“We needed it, we were going to try to play no matter what and just for the experience,” Columbia first-year coach Brent Mascheck said. “It was good for us and it is never good to lose a game, but I think we learned a lot about ourselves and we’ve grown from this.”
Wharton (1-1) made some big plays down the stretch, including a 31-yard score from Jimmie Woods III to Robert McGrew, who snagged the ball while falling down into the end zone with 7:10 remaining. That gave the Tigers a nine-point lead.
The Roughnecks came right back with a drive of their own, but were stalled by three sacks in the drive, including Jaylon Haynes taking down quarterback Josh Jimenez for a 6-yard loss. More importantly, Jimenez went out of the ball game with an injury.
“The defensive line’s speed was what gave us a lot of trouble and we didn’t execute very well,” Mascheck said. “They played well, but I thought our kids gave great effort and competed well. Take a couple of plays here and there, and it is a different ball game.”
Junior Michael Carlson gave the Roughnecks their first break of the ball game when he intercepted Woods III on Wharton’s first drive of the ball game.
It set up Columbia at the Wharton 17-yard line. A 16-yard reception by Julian Kay helped the Roughnecks get to the 1-yard line.
That is all Jimenez needed as he snuck in on the next play. After Karch Kaspar’s extra point, the ’Necks led 7-0 with 9:21 in the first.
After the Rougheck defense held Wharton on its second drive, the offense took over with some momentum at their own 32-yard line.
Facing a fourth and 1 at its own 47-yard line, Columbia decided to go for it, but a delay penalty moved them back 5 yards. It proved to be costly because, McGrew took the punt, and after swaggering a couple of defenders off, he ran it in for a 73-yard score to make it 7-7.
“In this type of ball game, those plays are going to decide whether we win or lose but I am proud of our kids because we did compete and we are growing as a team,” Mascheck said.
On the Tigers’ next drive, they went 75 yards in five plays with Benjamin Baylor finishing it up with a 7-yard score, 13-7.
A change of quarterbacks in the second quarter from Jimenez to Carlson didn’t seem to ignite the Roughnecks. On Carlson’s first snap, he fumbled. Then on second and 11, with Haynes right on top of him, he fumbled the ball and Haynes recovered.
Luckily the Tigers fumbled the ball right back to Columbia on the next play.
The score stood until the third period when Columbia’s offense started moving the ball. After a 7-yard completion to Kaspar, Kameron Rhodes bulled for 4 yards and Saylaion Dunlap added 8 more on another run.
With a first down at the 24-yard line of Wharton, Dunlap took a handoff and jitterbugged himself right up the middle of the defense, breaking a tackle into the end zone. Kaspar then gave the Roughnecks a 14-13 advantage with his extra point with 7:05 left.
Still in the third period, Cameron Branch ran back a Roughneck punt for 24 yards to the Columbia 34.
On third and four at the 18-yard line, Desmond Allen stepped in front of a would-be pass to a receiver breaking up the play. But on fourth down kicker Francisco Rodriguez connected on a 35-yarder to give the Tigers a 16-14 lead with 1:54 left in the third quarter.
Columbia then went on an 11-play drive, which started in the third quarter and ended in the fourth at the 44-yard line of Wharton on a fourth-down stop by the Tigers.
“This is going to be a process and like I told them, after a loss it is on me,” Mascheck said. “We have to get better and we will as we get closer to district play.”
Columbia will try to bounce back next week as they travel to Houston Kashmere.
After an hour delay because of lightning, the game went on without any more interruptions.
“We needed it, we were going to try to play no matter what and just for the experience,” Columbia first-year coach Brent Mascheck said. “It was good for us and it is never good to lose a game, but I think we learned a lot about ourselves and we’ve grown from this.”
Wharton (1-1) made some big plays down the stretch, including a 31-yard score from Jimmie Woods III to Robert McGrew, who snagged the ball while falling down into the end zone with 7:10 remaining. That gave the Tigers a nine-point lead.
The Roughnecks came right back with a drive of their own, but were stalled by three sacks in the drive, including Jaylon Haynes taking down quarterback Josh Jimenez for a 6-yard loss. More importantly, Jimenez went out of the ball game with an injury.
“The defensive line’s speed was what gave us a lot of trouble and we didn’t execute very well,” Mascheck said. “They played well, but I thought our kids gave great effort and competed well. Take a couple of plays here and there, and it is a different ball game.”
Junior Michael Carlson gave the Roughnecks their first break of the ball game when he intercepted Woods III on Wharton’s first drive of the ball game.
It set up Columbia at the Wharton 17-yard line. A 16-yard reception by Julian Kay helped the Roughnecks get to the 1-yard line.
That is all Jimenez needed as he snuck in on the next play. After Karch Kaspar’s extra point, the ’Necks led 7-0 with 9:21 in the first.
After the Rougheck defense held Wharton on its second drive, the offense took over with some momentum at their own 32-yard line.
Facing a fourth and 1 at its own 47-yard line, Columbia decided to go for it, but a delay penalty moved them back 5 yards. It proved to be costly because, McGrew took the punt, and after swaggering a couple of defenders off, he ran it in for a 73-yard score to make it 7-7.
“In this type of ball game, those plays are going to decide whether we win or lose but I am proud of our kids because we did compete and we are growing as a team,” Mascheck said.
On the Tigers’ next drive, they went 75 yards in five plays with Benjamin Baylor finishing it up with a 7-yard score, 13-7.
A change of quarterbacks in the second quarter from Jimenez to Carlson didn’t seem to ignite the Roughnecks. On Carlson’s first snap, he fumbled. Then on second and 11, with Haynes right on top of him, he fumbled the ball and Haynes recovered.
Luckily the Tigers fumbled the ball right back to Columbia on the next play.
The score stood until the third period when Columbia’s offense started moving the ball. After a 7-yard completion to Kaspar, Kameron Rhodes bulled for 4 yards and Saylaion Dunlap added 8 more on another run.
With a first down at the 24-yard line of Wharton, Dunlap took a handoff and jitterbugged himself right up the middle of the defense, breaking a tackle into the end zone. Kaspar then gave the Roughnecks a 14-13 advantage with his extra point with 7:05 left.
Still in the third period, Cameron Branch ran back a Roughneck punt for 24 yards to the Columbia 34.
On third and four at the 18-yard line, Desmond Allen stepped in front of a would-be pass to a receiver breaking up the play. But on fourth down kicker Francisco Rodriguez connected on a 35-yarder to give the Tigers a 16-14 lead with 1:54 left in the third quarter.
Columbia then went on an 11-play drive, which started in the third quarter and ended in the fourth at the 44-yard line of Wharton on a fourth-down stop by the Tigers.
“This is going to be a process and like I told them, after a loss it is on me,” Mascheck said. “We have to get better and we will as we get closer to district play.”
Columbia will try to bounce back next week as they travel to Houston Kashmere.