Tigers rush Red Devils

The St. Regis Tigers football team had a strong showing last Monday evening, battling through a tough game against the Noxon Red Devils for a victory on their home turf.

“They played great,” said Tigers’ Head Coach Dan Noonan.

The game got off to a tenuous start with neither team managing to score in the first quarter. Both the Tigers and the Red Devils played strong defensively and neither team managed to get closer to their respective goal than the 20-yard line before turning over possession on downs.

Early on the second quarter however, the Tigers’ defensive line made a huge push against the Red Devils. Driving them further and further back with each play, the Tigers managed to force the Red Devils to turn the ball over with only five yards to go for a first down. On the next play senior Tiger Willy Roper bulldozed through the Red Devil’s defense for the first touchdown of the game. The Tigers attempted to push through again for a two-point conversion but were stopped by the Red Devil’s defense.

The Red Devils answered the Tiger touchdown with two of their own, including a 20-yard pass followed by a 45-yard run for a touchdown with more than two minutes left in the quarter.

The Red Devils did not manage points after either of their touchdowns and the Tigers were behind 12 to 6 when Tiger Zack Lott recovered a Red Devil fumble on a play broken up by Tiger Thomas Spencer on the 6 yardline. With only ten seconds left in the quarter, quarterback Pat Quinlivan made a pass to Roper. The Tigers did not manage to rush through for their two-point conversion attempt, and they went into the third quarter with a 12 to 12 tie game.

The third quarter started off with a tense moment when the Red Devils managed to get a completion within five yards of the end zone. The Tigers defense held strong however and managed to push the Red Devils back another five yards before the Red Devils made a successful pass to Jesse Linderman for a Red Devil touchdown. The Red Devils made a successful attempt for a two-point conversion and the score was 20 to 12.

The Tigers and Red Devils defensive lines continued to clash for the rest of the third quarter until Roper made an interception on the Tigers’ 20 yardline and ran it in for a touchdown late in the quarter. Quinlivan completed the team’s attempt for a two-point conversion and the score stood tied at 20 to 20 going into the fourth quarter.

The Tigers and Red Devils defensive lines again kept the game at a near standstill for much of the third quarter with neither team gaining much ground until the Tigers managed to push through to first down with 6 yards to go. Pushing through the Red Devils defense, the Tigers managed to score on the fourth down with Zane Worrall snagging a picture perfect catch from Quinlivan. The Tigers failed in their attempt for a two-point conversion but held the lead at 20 to 26.

Despite a strong charge from the Red Devils that resulted in a safety, the Tigers held them at bay and kept their lead. The Tigers fans lined the edges of the field cheering them on for the last few minutes of the game in which the Tigers held back the advancing Red Devils for a victory.

Noonan said that last Monday’s game was one of the best he’s seen the team play.

“Zack Lott played a fantastic game,” Noonan said. “One of the best he’s ever played.”

Noonan said that the Tigers’ strong defense helped them win the game.

“Defensively they were very strong. We more or less stopped them most of the game,” Noonan said.

The Tigers defeated Arlee in an away game Saturday, and they now hold a 3-2 record for the season.

Wednesday night they will face Alberton on their home turf at 7 p.m.