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North Huskies vs Castle - at John Lidy Field Nov 8, 2024

Sectional Semifinal

Game Stats    Game Recap   

Offense

Team Stats

Defensive Stats

Game Recap

HUSKIES BOW OUT WITH 31-21 LOSS TO CASTLE

Tied at 21 in the fourth quarter of the Sectional Championship game, the North Huskies could not stop the Castle Knight’s running game in the final eight minutes and lost 31-21.  The Huskies led 14-7 at intermission and came back to tie the score after giving up two third-quarter touchdowns, but were unable to contain Castle’s star running back when the game was on the line.

RUCKER GETS THE HUSKIES STARTED

After North gave up an opening possession score to the Knights, it was senior Jason Rucker II (who has had many memorable games at John Lidy Field) who got the Huskies’ offense ‘jump started’.

Junior defensive tackle Mike Epps stalled Castle’s next possession by tackling a runner for no gain on second down and then batting down a pass at the line of scrimmage on third down.  The Huskies took over at their 46-yard line.  It took North just four plays to even the score.

A first down run by Rucker netted eight yards and a quick pass to senior Hunter Skelton gained nine more yards.  On second down and 11 from the Castle 38, it was time for ‘the Rucker Show’ to begin.  Lined up to the right of the quarterback, “#1” took the handoff on an inside-zone run play—and was promptly grabbed by the Castle defensive end three yards behind the line of scrimmage.  Rucker somehow managed to spin, jump, twist, and pull away from the grasp of the defender—turning a full 360 degrees in the process—and zoomed into the defensive backfield.

At the 25-yard line he threaded the needle as he split a pair of Knight defenders with a twist of his hips followed by an acceleration that left scorch marks on the new surface at John Lidy Stadium.  In the clear at the 20, he raced into the end zone untouched.  Sophomore Derek Kirsch added the extra point and the score was tied as the first quarter ended.

McBRIDE CAN FLY, TOO!

After both teams exchanged punts, Castle managed to put together a ten-play drive that took them to the North 17-yard line.  Epps hurried the quarterback to throw the ball away harmlessly on second down, senior Ethan Bowden stopped a receiver short of the marker on third down, and junior Ricky White nailed a runner in the backfield when Castle went-for-it on fourth down.  North took over at their 18.

Junior receiver Cole McBride comes from a long line of track stars.  His brother won the state 100- and 200-meter dashes in 2017.  Cole got a chance to show that speed runs in the family.

Lining up in the right slot, he came back to his left on the snap and took a chest pass from quarterback Zack Tenbarge on an appropriately named play called a “Jet Sweep”.  Rucker and junior Q Pauley led McBride toward the left side of the Castle defense.  The two then double teamed the Castle defensive end, but the effort appeared as though it would force McBride deeper behind the line of scrimmage than he wanted to travel.

Instead, the agile wide receiver ‘stopped on a dime’, shifted his weight to his right, turned to face up field, and took off in a straight-line acceleration that carried him away from the nearest defenders.  None of them could alter their momentum with anything near the speed that McBride had just done so. 

Ten yards down field, seniors Brady Reeves and Ben Brasher were pushing linebackers steadily into the next county and McBride went shooting past their blocks.  He outran two more defensive backs who appeared to have angles of pursuit that could force him out of bounds.  McBride was having none of that and dove into the end zone with 4:14 remaining in the half.  Kirsch’s kick made the halftime score 14-7 in favor of the Huskies.

SECOND HALF

The Empire struck back on their first possession of the second half and the Knights went 63 yards in just six plays to tie the score at 14.  The ensuing kickoff gave North the ball near mid-field, but the Huskies threw an interception on the second play and Castle returned the ball to the Husky 35.  The defense yielded ground begrudgingly, but in the end, nine plays put the ball in the end zone to give Castle a 21-14 lead.

THE RETURN OF THE HUSKIES

Just when it appeared that all momentum had shifted in favor of Castle, the Huskies answered the call.  Starting at their 20-yard line, North strung together a 14-play drive that took up six-and-a-half minutes, generated five first downs, overcame a holding penalty, and went 80 yards to tie the score.  Rucker carried the ball nine times and Tenbarge completed four passes to drive the ball to the one-yard line.  Rucker then carried it over from the one to tie the game at 21 with just ten minutes to play.

CASTLE’S NIGHT

In the end, however, the power and strength of Castle’s all-conference running back carried the game for the Knights.  They handed him the ball 12 times in the game’s final minutes and he responded with 102 yards rushing in the fourth quarter alone.  His 58-yard run with five minutes to play enabled Castle to kick a field goal that put them up two scores and effectively ended North’s chances at victory.

The Huskies played a good game but bowed out of the playoffs with a 31-21 loss. 

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