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Tinora ends season with big win over Aces

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By KEVIN EIS
cnsports@crescent-news.com
HICKSVILLE " While Fairview claimed the outright Green Meadows Conference title, the Tinora Rams ended their season looking like champions with a thoroughly dominant 35-13 win over league-rival Hicksville.

Offensively, the Rams put up 328 yards of total offense while the defense held the normally-proficient Hicksville offense to just 163 yards, with a mere 10 of those yards coming through the air.

Despite falling short of a playoff berth, Tinora punctuated its season on a high note after a six-game winning streak, which saw the Rams finish at 7-3 overall while garnering second place in the GMC at 6-1.

"That's what those guys deserve right there," said Tinora mentor Kenny Krouse of his Rams' season-ending victory. "We proved tonight we are a good football team. Three losses by three touchdowns ... and we got on a run there. This senior class took the pride and commitment to show what Tinora football is all about."

Although his Aces dropped their final two games on the 2008 schedule to end at 8-2 and 5-2 in the league, Hicksville first-year mentor Lucas Smith spoke highly of what his team was able to accomplish this season.

"They were the better team tonight, obviously," commented Smith on his opponents, who held the Aces to just 49 yards of offense in the opening half. "We have completely turned this program around. These seniors and this JV has been outstanding, and we have seen in the past two weeks what it takes to be on top in the GMC. The bar has been set and now we know what we have to do to beat Tinora and Fairview."

Offensively, Tinora was led by an explosive rushing display by the combination of senior Lucas Willitzer and junior Blake Foor. Willitzer proved to be unstoppable up the middle, rushing for 160 yards and three touchdowns on the ground while Foor added 89 yards and a score on 16 attempts.

Willitzer also returned a 25-yard interception to paydirt at linebacker, giving him four touchdowns on the night.

"I'd like to give all the credit to our offensive line," lauded Willitzer. "And Blake Foor is a great player too. We worked hard at practice and got it done tonight."

A key achievement for the Rams' defense was stopping Hicksville's premier running back Logan Battershell. Besides breaking loose for a 61-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter, the Aces' junior was held to one score and 153 yards on 28 carries while Hicksville registered only 163 yards rushing as a team.

To Hicksville's credit, Battershell's performance was enough to put the talented tailback over the 2,000-yard barrier on the season with a note-worthy 2,032 yards.

"What a great team football game tonight," Krouse exclaimed. "The defense did a great job on a really great running back. I've got a lot of respect for Logan Battershell, he's a very good running back."

Leading the charge against Battershell and the Aces' rugged offensive line was Tinora senior defensive tackle John Hammersmith, whose aggressiveness on every play helped in holding Hicksville to seven first downs.
"We stayed mentally focused and put in a lot of hard work at practice," admitted the 6-4, 235-pound senior. "Those guys are tough, but we stayed focused and that's what it took."
Tinora wasted no time in establishing a tempo in the first quarter as Foor bolted for a 22-yard touchdown run on the Rams' opening possession. On the extra-point attempt, freshman Tory Gulliam faked a hold and pitched to Lyndon Benecke, who went untouched into the endzone for two points.

After stopping the Hicksville offense on fourth-and-three at midfield, the green-and-white needed just two plays before Willitzer crashed through the line and raced for 43 yards to the endzone with 1:41 showing in the first. The ensuing kick by sophomore Alex Moser gave Tinora a 15-0 lead after one quarter of play.

"I thought our two backs really ran hard again tonight," stated Krouse. "I think they might be the two most underrated backs around. Our kids were really focused tonight. They did not want to come over here and get embarrassed."

Willitzer scored twice in the second quarter on a 5-yard run just two minutes in and the interception return which put the Rams up 29-0 with 5:54 left until halftime.

However, Hicksville junior Jake Bradbury brought the Aces alive on the very next play, taking the kickoff return 87 yards down the right sideline to cut the Tinora lead to 29-7 with one half to play.

"I give a ton of credit to both Tinora's offensive and defensive line," commented Smith. "They won the battle in the trenches and we all know that's where it starts. Those guys came to play and they're the real deal. I should have came up with a better defensive gameplan than what I had and I take full responsibility for that."

The Rams forced Hicksville into punting away its first possession of the second half, giving them the ball at their own 35-yard line. It took just four plays and a 47-yard run by Foor to set up Willitzer's third rushing touchdown of the game from 10 yards out as Tinora took control with a 35-7 lead.

Battershell broke through the line for a 61-yard touchdown with 6:02 left in the third, but it was too little, too late as neither team scored the remainder of the game and the Rams came away victorious.

Friday's triumph marked the final game for Tinora seniors Willitzer, Hammersmith, Ben Wagner, Brad Wagner, Clay Norden, Ethan Stykemain, Dillon Cereghin, Andrew Keber, Mike Hernandez and Jimmy McGuire. The Rams wrapped up the 2008 campaign having outscored their opponents 264-50 through six consecutive victories.

"We knew we weren't going to make the playoffs and it was going to be our last game," admitted Willitzer. "We just tried our best and we got it done. I'm just so happy with all these seniors and underclassmen. I just hope they keep the program up."

Hammersmith shared the sentiment of his fellow senior.

"I'm going to miss this forever," he said. "I left a chapter at the Tinora high school football team and I hope to go on to college."

"I can't say enough about those ten young men and what they've meant to this football team," concluded Krouse of his departing seniors. "A lot of 1-3 teams would start to fold and this team didn't."

TINORA HICKSVILLE
First Downs 13 7
Rushing Yards 33-275 37-153
Passing Yards 53 10
Total Yards 328 163
Passing 6-12-2 4-11-1
Fumbles 2 2
Fumbles Lost 1 1
Penalties 3-25 7-60

Tinora 15 14 6 0 " 35
Hicksville 0 7 6 0 " 13
Tinora - Foor 22-yard run (Benecke run).
Tinora - Willitzer 43-yard run (Moser kick).
Tinora - Willitzer 5-yard run (Moser kick).
Tinora - Willitzer 25-yard interception return (Moser kick).
Hicksville - Bradbury 87-yard kickoff return (Klepper kick).
Tinora - Willitzer 10-yard run. (Kick failed).
Hicksville - L. Battershell 61-yard run (Kick failed).
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Tinora - Willitzer 14-160; Foor 16-89; Benecke 2-28. Hicksville - L. Battershell 28-153; A. Battershell 5-10; Klepper 1-0; Bradbury 1-0; Ayers 1-(-2); Larry 1-(-8).
PASSING: Tinora - Drewes 6-12-2-53. Hicksville - Klepper 4-11-1-10.
RECEIVING: Tinora - Stokey 2-24; Foor 2-21; Willitzer 1-4; Benecke 1-4. Hicksville - L. Battershell 2-5; Bradbury 1-3; Ayers 1-2.