Photo by Darian Hays
Tuscola Warriors were strong on offense and defense at last Friday’s game. They managed to force the SOV Redskins into more than one turnover situation such as the one above.

•September 16, 2015•

By Matt Kracht
NP Sports Reporter

Before Friday night’s contest Tuscola announced it had been voted the number one ISHA football team in class 2A. The Warriors looked like a number one rushing out to a 35-0 halftime lead and holding on for the impressive win. After the loss SOV head coach Gerald Temples was blunt about what he saw, “We just got whipped up front. Offensively and defensively, we didn’t get the job done. We turned the ball over, gave up some big plays in the passing game. You do all that against a good football team and good things are not going to happen.”

Sullivan received the opening kick and managed a first down, getting near midfield before being forced to punt. Tuscola took over on their own 21 yard line at the nine minute mark in the first quarter. The Warriors proceeded to go on a 14 play six minute scoring drive that paid off on a fourth and nine from the 18 yard line. Evan Barker had just sacked the Warriors QB on third down putting them in a no man’s land, being too close to punt and too far out to try a field goal. On fourth down Warriors wide out Dalton Hoel got man coverage and ran an ankle breaking out route to the left corner of the end zone for the game’s first score. Trailing 7-0 at the three minute mark Sullivan had bad field position starting from their own 10 yard line. An illegal motion penalty made it first and 15 from the five, and the Redskins could not convert. The Redskins forced to punt out of their own end zone setup the Warriors at midfield. On the first play of the Warriors’ second drive Nick Bates ripped off a 45 yard touchdown run. The all-conference quarterback from Tuscola put one foot in the ground made a cut and was gone sprinting down the left sideline for a big score to put the Warriors on top 14-0 with 1:38 remaining in the first quarter.      Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.