Titans take OT victory on Clarke's big run
Tuscarora answers Walkersville's field goal with a TD to win 13-10
Dominic Clarke couldn't get anything done in the first four quarters. Overtime was a different story.
The Tuscarora High running back scored the game winning 2-yard touchdown in the first overtime after being limited to 27 yards rushing in regulation, giving the Titans a 13-10 victory at Walkersville Friday night.
After Walkersville's Jeremy Musselman kicked a 28-yard field goal to start overtime, there was little doubt where the ball was going, according to Tuscarora head coach Shawn Carey. Clarke got the ball on three straight runs, plunging through the middle on third down for the winning score.
"It came down to either we were better at the line of scrimmage than them or we weren't," Carey said about his team's approach in the overtime.
Regulation was more about turnovers and missed opportunities than anything else. The two teams combined for eight turnovers in the four quarters, including four turnovers on loss of downs. Tuscarora quarterback Jakarie Jackson scrambled for a 7-yard touchdown in the first quarter to give the Titans a 7-0 lead, but the Titans' turned the ball over twice in the red zone during the first half.
Jackson was dangerous on the ground throughout the game, finishing with 132 rushing yards on 21 carries, but was inconsistent through the air, throwing two interceptions.
Though Walkersville's defense continued to hold, the Lions' offense failed to capitalize on their opportunities. After Andrew Bullman intercepted Jackson at his own 2-yard line, Walkersville appeared to be moving the ball effectively. However, Musselman was picked off by the Titans' Gary Lee, ending the threat and the half.
The Lions' offense continued to struggle to move the ball during their first two second half possessions, but received a spark when Hugh Ortner picked off Jackson on fourth-and-7 in Lions' territory.
That's when the Lions' went with a strategy talked about during practice: ball control. Walkersville used a 17-play drive that lasted more than nine minutes to tie the game. The Lions' capitalized on three 4th-down conversions, the final one coming on a 1-yard run by Bullman.
"That was the goal all week. The best way we could play defense was if they weren't on the field. Keep moving the chains," Walkersville head coach Ryan Hines said afterwards.
Bullman led the Lion offense with 51 yards on 17 carries, despite being in obvious pain for the second straight game. A week earlier Bullman dislocated his shoulder on the first play at Smithsburg, but continued to play after it popped back in. Against Tuscarora Bullman limped off the field three times in the fourth quarter, but somehow continued to find his way back on.
Despite the loss, the Lions' defense was proud of its effort against a powerful Tuscarora rushing attack.
"This is the best game that we've played all year and everyone knows it," senior defensive lineman Todd Keyser said.