Loveland, OH - One of the biggest Tiger football games in recent memory took place last Friday, as Loveland hosted the Winton Woods Warriors on Senior Night. Winton Woods has been a high school football powerhouse the last decade-plus, but after dropping two games already this year, the Warriors were looking to stay afloat in the ECC title race. Meanwhile, the Tigers were looking to establish the program’s longest winning streak since their state title season in 2013—a lot on the line for both teams in this matchup.
The game started with a Warriors punt, propelled by a Sawyer Muchmore (11) sack, and the Tigers took over early. A couple of big runs from Colton Endicott (12) got the Tigers down into the Winton Woods red zone, but after an incompletion on 3rd down, Ben Hicks (12) put one through the uprights to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead. The Warriors tried to respond, but with another Muchmore sack and a failed 4th down conversion, the Tigers forced a turnover to get the ball back. However, the Tigers would punt the ball away and the Warriors would have another chance to respond. Bryshawn Brown would respond, finding Tra’mar Harris down the sideline for a 40-yard gain, putting the Warriors in scoring position. A couple of plays later, the Warriors faced 4th down from the Tigers’ 10, but Brown found Harris in the endzone and the Warriors jumped out to a 7-3 lead, where the score remained as the first half wound down.
The second half started incredibly sloppy, as the Tigers opened with a punt, and the Warriors turned the ball over on downs on the proceeding drive. Endicott continued to produce for the Tigers, breaking open a couple of plays to put the Tigers in the red zone. However, after failing to put the ball in the endzone, the Tigers tried to settle for a chip shot field goal, but had it blocked by the Warriors, giving Winton Woods an opportunity to extend the lead. The Warriors didn’t pass up on that opportunity, as Brown found Charles Mathis II down the left sideline for a 40-yard touchdown, extending their lead to 14-3. After stalling a Loveland fake punt on 4th down the next possession, Isaiah Garrett would find the end zone on a 5-yard rushing touchdown to make it 21-3. Although the Tigers tried to mount a late comeback on a 66-yard touchdown from Tyler Roberts (11) to Kolyn Ogletree (10), it wasn’t enough, and the Warriors would prevail 21-9.
Endicott had another solid night on the ground, racking up 92 yards on 19 carries to continue his campaign for an ECC rushing title. As for the defensive side, Muchmore recorded two sacks and Max Carver (11) and Julius Vorbroker (12) led the team in tackles with five a piece. The Tigers will play their last regular season contest this Friday on the road at West Clermont. The theme is Red, White, and Blue. Be there and support our Tigers!