Big plays doom Tigers in 54-26 loss

0

In a game resumed because of threatening weather the McClain Tigers lost to Unioto 54-26 Saturday evening in Chillicothe.

Big plays and some poor tackling were the main reasons for the lop-sided defeat to the Shermans. Unioto led 21-20 with two minutes left in the opening half when Erique Hosley returned a punt return 70 yards for a touchdown.

But the dagger for the Tigers came just before the intermission when Hosley returned another McClain punt 75 yards for another touchdown as the first-half clock ran out giving Unioto a more comfortable 34-20 advantage at the break.

Hosley’s back to back punt returns really seemed to deflate all the energy and momentum that the Tigers were riding for most of the high scoring and entertaining half.

In the third period Hosley scored his third touchdown of the night on a nine yard run putting Unioto on top 41-20 at the 10:37 mark. It would be the only touchdown scored in the third period the final nail in the coffin came at the 11:53 mark of the fourth quarter when Hosley scored again, this time on a 16 yard gallop to virtually put the game out of reach at 48-20.

Senior Alex Hollar was McClain’s offensive bright spot in the game with a pair of touchdown runs, the first a 62 yarder in the second period and the other was an 8 yard run in the fourth. Sophomore quarterback Tristan Pitzer also had a big 62 yard touchdown run in the opening period for the Tigers.

Unioto’s Andrew Oyer also had a fine offensive night scoring two touchdowns in the first half on runs of 55 and 60 yards.

“I thought we played our butts off tonight,” first-year Tiger head coach Jeremey Andrews said “We just didn’t execute well at times.”

“We’ve still got some seniors that still don’t know the things that we’ve been teaching since July and some people on this team need to increase their accountability to what they’re doing.”

“By in large I thought our kids played really hard and most of our guys are working their tails off but some of them really need to grow up and take some responsibility.”

“The only way we are going to start winning games is to increase our responsibility,” continued Andrews “I know we played them tough but playing people tough isn’t what we’re here to do, we’re here to win.”

McClain’s opening score of the contest came on a 1 yard run by Gabe Adams following a 55 yard pass completion from Pitzer to Gordon Clouser on Friday night before the stoppage.

McClain Alex Hollar is shown during his 62 yard touchdown run Saturday vs. Unioto.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2015/09/web1_Hollar.jpgMcClain Alex Hollar is shown during his 62 yard touchdown run Saturday vs. Unioto. Jim Jones | For The Times-Gazette

By Jim Jones

For The Times-Gazette

No posts to display