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North Huskies vs New Albany - at Bundrant Stadium Nov 1, 2024

Sectional Semifinal

Game Stats    Game Recap   

Offense

Team Stats

Defensive Stats

Game Recap

HUSKIES ADVANCE WITH 42-7 WIN OVER NEW ALBANY

The North Huskies defense throttled the New Albany Bulldogs in a 42-7 Sectional semi-final game Friday night.  After going eight seasons without making a visit to the Sectional Championship game from 2014 to 2021, the Huskies have advanced to the Title game for the third consecutive season.

FIRST HALF DEFENSIVE DOMINATION

A fit description of the defense’s dominance is provided in a chart of New Albany’s first half possessions:

1. --held to a three and out, senior Ethan Bowden blocked the punt and junior T.J. Michel picked up the loose ball and rambled 27 yards for a touchdown

2. --three and out punt; held to -4 yards gained

3. --three and out punt; held to 7 yards gained

4. --three and out punt; held to -1 yards gained

5. --three and out punt; held to -1 yards gained

6. --New Albany runs two plays before senior James Beck recovers a Bulldog fumble

7. --three and out punt; held to -6 yards gained

8. --New Albany runs six plays before losing the ball on downs

By which point, New Albany was trailing 28-0 and the game was all over but for the shouting.

THE RUCKER-ROCKET ‘LIFTS OFF!’

Junior Baron Briscoe recovered an unsuccessful ‘on-sides’ kickoff by the Bulldogs on the opening play of the game and it took the Huskies just four plays to score.  With a first down at the 38-yard line, senior Jason Rucker II lined up to the right of quarterback Luke Grayson in the shotgun formation.  On the snap, he slid to his left and took the handoff on and outside-zone run play—only to find a blitzing linebacker in his path.  Fellow senior Avier Mitchell provided a screening block on the blitzer and Rucker cut behind him before turning up field. 

As he neared the line of scrimmage, he saw senior Aiden Wargel had driven the end downfield ten yards with a jarring block and was continuing to push him further.  Charging ahead behind Wargel, he then picked up a perfect block from junior Cole McBride and cut to his left toward the sideline.  From there, Rucker lit the afterburners and rocketed to the end zone.  Barely 90 seconds into the game, the Huskies led 7-0 after sophomore Derek Kirsch’s first of six perfect extra-point kicks.

MICHEL’S HUSTLE

Less than two minutes after the first score, seniors Ethan Bowden and Matt Pegram blew threw a pair of blockers each and smacked down a punt just as it left the kicker’s foot.  The ball deflected to the right and junior T.J. Michel alertly snatched up the ball at the 27-yard line.  Michel took no time to consider what to do with the ball and hustled straight to the end zone to make the game 14-0.

FIRST HALF TURNOVERS HANDICAP HUSKIES

Normally, if a team commits four first half turnovers, they would be more likely to be on the wrong side of a 28-0 score rather than on top.  Such was not the case Friday thanks to the domination of the defense.  Over the course of the next nineteen minutes of play, North would toss three interceptions and lose a fumble.

The defense, however, overwhelmed the Bulldog offense so effectively that not a single turnover yielded points for New Albany.  Twice, a quarterback’s arm was hit as he was throwing and it yielded errant throws that were picked off.  Both occurred deep in Bulldog territory and the defense forced a punt after the turnover.  The fumble occurred near midfield and two plays later senior James Beck recovered a fumble as New Albany returned the favor.

Due to the defense’s stinginess and effective punt returns by sophomore Braydn Egli (he averaged 16 yards per return in the game), the North offense was in position to put more points on the board.

TWO SECOND QUARTER SCORES

Avier Mitchell rushed in from the five-yard line early in the second quarter to make the score 21-0.  Senior Zack Tenbarge came into the game after Grayson was forced out due to injury and rode North’s workhorse—Rucker—on his first drive.

On first down at the New Albany 48 (following Beck’s fumble recovery), Rucker followed zone blocking to the left and looked for an opening.  A Bulldog defender caught him from behind as he searched and it appeared he would take the senior runner down—until he didn’t.  The nimble senior squirmed out of the grasp and zoomed 16 yards before being forced out of bounds.

Following a busted play that lost ten yards, it again fell to Rucker to bail out the offense.  Taking the handoff to the right, he received a ‘monster’ of a pancake block from senior ‘big’ Ben Brasher that took out the center of the defense and he zoomed through the hole.  Wargel had stood up his man again and pushed him downfield ten yards, so Rucker had smooth sailing into the defensive backfield.  He made his way to the 15-yard line before being brought down.

Two plays later, Tenbarge stood behind a perfect pocket of protection and arched a touchdown pass to junior Evan Garnett as he ran a corner rout on the right.  Garnett caught the ball at the goal line and North went up 28-0 at half time.

SECOND HALF

The defense opened the third period and announced their domination with authority.  On first down at the Bulldog 42, Beck and junior Mike Epps combined for a five-yard quarterback sack.  On second down, Matt Pegram blitzed in and dropped the quarterback for a nine-yard sack.  On third down, Pegram had the quarterback running for his life before tossing a harmless incompletion.  The fourth down punt rolled out of bounds at the North 36.

ONE-TWO PUNCH

The Huskies are blessed with a pair of great running backs.  Avier Mitchell and Jason Rucker not only carry the ball, the block for one another with tenacity.  Facing third down at the 45, it required both backs to succeed.  On the snap, Brasher pulled and ran down the line where he pancaked the defensive end with a blow that also took out the linebacker.  Mitchell led Rucker into the opening and then sealed off interior pursuit from the middle linebacker.  Rucker zipped outside and rambled to the 19-yard line.

On the next play, Brasher and Wargel teamed with fellow senior Brady Reeves to open up the right side of the Bulldog line.  This time Mitchell followed Rucker into the hole and it was Rucker who screened of the linebacker and it was Mitchell who zoomed past the block and went 19 yards to the end zone.  North went up 35-0 and the game moved into Running Clock mode with over seven minutes to play in the third period.

ONE MORE SCORE

The Bulldogs managed to put together one effective drive early in the fourth quarter and scored on a 15-yard touchdown pass.  The Huskies, however, answered immediately.  Baron Briscoe again recovered an unsuccessful on-sides kick and North zoomed downfield in four plays.  Tenbarge hit senior Grant Happe for a first down at the 33-yard line.  Rucker zipped 13 yards to the nine and Tenbarge then tossed a slant pass to Cole McBride for the final score of the game with five minutes to play.  North won 42-7 and will face Castle at John Lidy Field in the Sectional Championship game.

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