Tigers get Homecoming grid win

The Ipswich/Edmunds Central high school football co-op got back into the win column with a 44-8 Ipswich homecoming win last Friday in Ipswich. That win improved Ipswich/EC to 2-2 in Lake Region Conference play and 3-3 overall.

The Tigers will next play another league foe Faulkton Area on Friday at 7 p.m. in Faulkton.

Before that, though the team indeed could savor its Gala Day win. It was quite impressive, at that, (both offensively and defensively) starting with an interception by Matthew Hettich that stopped a visitors' opening drive deep into the red zone. The Tigers needed to punt, though, again resulting in fairly decent field position for the Titans. And they were once again able to drive deep into Tiger territory before a welcomed fumble gathered up by Josh McQuarie at around the I/EC 20-yard line. This time the Tigers wouldn't be denied with their own lengthy drive, capped by a Carson Gohl 37-yard TD run and an Ethan Gilbert to Eric Severson PAT pass completion for an 8-0 Tiger lead with 10:11 left in the half.

But the visitors would respond with what would be their lone scoring drive that began at their own 40. They capped it with a one-yard touchdown plunge with the PATs tacked on for a brief tie at 8-8 with 6:11 remaining before halftime. A lot happened in those six minutes. The Tigers strung together a touchdown drive that was kept alive by a 50-yard pass play from Gilbert to McQuarie to inside the red zone at the Titans' 15. Gilbert then found Kaden Hix from about 11 yards out for the pass-play score and Gohl added the PAT carry with 3:14 on the first-half clock for a 16-8 Tiger lead.

The Tigers gradually extended their second-half lead with some insurance touchdowns, starting with a Carter Heinz five-yard run for the score, followed by another Gohl PAT run for a 24-8 Tigers lead with 9:12 left in the third quarter. They capped a later third-quarter scoring drive with a Gilbert to Matthew Hettick aerial hook-up covering 48 yards with 1:37 left in the quarter for a 30-8 Tiger edge.

They tacked on a pair of final-quarter scores, after taking over on downs at their own five-yard line earlier in that quarter following an impressive goal-line stand. A little later in the game Heinz covered a Titan fumble in their end zone for a 36-8 lead. And the visitors would then fumble yet again deep in their own territory. The Tigers capped that short drive with a one-yard TD run on a Gilbert keeper. And Gilbert found Hix alone in the end zone for the PAT points that would make the final alteration to the scoreboard.

The visitors were limited to 138 yards rushing and 81 passing. The Tigers earned 191 rushing yards on 28 tries, led by Gohl with a 15-113 evening. The hosts were 8-14 through the air for 181 more yards. Hettich's catches totaled 59 yards. McQuarie added 50 aerial yards and Hix 44.

Heinz led a balanced defensive effort by the Tigers with 13 tackles, followed by McQuarie with 12. (The team had 73 total tackles.)