Waterford dominates Southern in TVC showdown
Trending
WATERFORD -- Waterford led only by a single score at the intermission, but pulled away in the second half for an impressive 37-7 win over Southern. The victory puts the Wildcats in the driver's seat for the Tri-Valley Conference, Hocking Division championship.
The ground attack paved the way for Waterford, now 7-1 on the year. Tyler McCutcheon rushed for 214 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, and Braden Bellville added 141 yards and a score on only seven totes, also catching two TD passes. Waterford's defense held the Tornadoes offense to only 84 yards on the ground.
The Wildcats scored on their first possession after holding the Tornadoes to a 3-and-out inside their own 10-yard line. A short punt gave Waterford the ball at the Southern 17, and they required only three plays to score. McCutcheon bulled in from six yards out, and Cody Harris' extra point was good to make it 7-0 with less than three minutes played.
The defenses took over for the rest of the first, until Southern began its only scoring drive late in the period. A 10-play, 47-yard drive saw the Tornadoes pick up a fourth-down conversion, and Dylan Smith caught a 19 yard strike from quarterback Blake Johnson to set up a first-and-goal.
Smith caught six passes for 107 yards in the game.
Fullback Colton Holbrook scored from 3 yards out, and Andrew Evans' PAT tied the score with 10:21 remaining in the second.
Waterford then put together a lengthy drive to retake the lead. Wildcats' QB Isaac Huffman converted a 3rd-and-14 with a 15-yard scramble on the way to a 14-play, 65-yard drive. It culminated when Huffman found Bellville down the left side on a well executed screen pass for a 10-yard touchdown. After a Southern offsides penalty put the ball at the 1, McCutcheon smashed in for the two point conversion, and a 15-7 halftime lead.
It was a penalty plagued contest. Both sides racked up nine penalties, Waterford's adding up to 100 yards.
On Waterford's opening possession of the second half, McCutcheon broke free down the left sideline for a 61-yard gain to the Tornado 10, but the defense held, sacking Huffman for a 9-yard loss, and forcing a fourth down incompletion.
After a Southern punt, the Wildcats increased their lead. Five consecutive McCutcheon carries accounted for 35 yards, Huffman found Bellville open in the right flat for 18 yards, and then connected with the same player for a 10-yard scoring strike, and a 22-7 lead with 1:51 remaining in the third.
Southern was again forced to punt, then Waterford applied the coup-de-grace on the last play of the third quarter. With the ball on the Wildcats' 47, McCutcheon broke free again, this time down the right sideline, and there was no stopping him this time. Harris converted another PAT, and Waterford led 29-7 as the final quarter began.
Southern responded with a long drive of its own, but quarterback Johnson was stopped on a 4th-and-2 run from the Waterford 15.
A one-play drive then made the result a certainty. From the home 14-yard line, Huffman faked a handoff to McCutcheon, and Bellville burst through the middle on a draw play. 86 untouched yards later, he crossed the goal line. After a pair of penalties, Huffman bootlegged left for the two point conversion, and the 37-7 final margin of victory.
The Wildcats return to action on Friday, as they travel to visit winless Federal Hocking.