Tigers pummel Patriots, win by 40

Thanks to a running clock that was triggered in the third quarter, the Nevada High School football team made quick work of East Newton with a 46-6 win Friday night in Granby.

In a game that lasted just over two hours and saw substitutions on the field for most of the fourth quarter, the Tigers (6-1 overall, 4-1 in Big 8 West play) seized control from the start when junior defensive end Case Sanderson returned an interception 50 yards to the house on the fourth play from scrimmage.

Sanderson’s rush attempt for the two-point conversion was no good, but senior linebacker Logan Marquardt got the ball right back for Nevada with an interception of his own on the Patriots’ ensuing possession.

The Tigers cashed in that pick with a seven-play drive in East Newton (1-6, 0-4) territory, capped off by a 2-yard touchdown run by junior wingback Avious Steadman (Sanderson passed to junior Drew Beachler for the two-point conversion).

Nevada’s defense then forced a punt to close out the first quarter, and the offense kept rolling to open the second — with a 35-yard run by Steadman (during which he eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards on the season) setting up a 2-yard TD trot by fellow junior Jordan Johnson (two-point conversion no good).

After another East Newton punt, junior quarterback Cade Beshore connected with Sanderson on a 69-yard catch-and-run up the sideline and into the end zone (Johnson ran in the two-point conversion).

Nevada headed into halftime up 28-0 and got the ball out of the break, but went three-and-out.

After forcing a turnover on downs by the Patriots, the Tigers lit up the scoreboard once again when Steadman burst up the middle, bounced outside, and out-ran the secondary into the end zone from 31 yards out. The two-point conversion failed again, but NHS was up 34-0 and a point away from triggering the turbo clock midway through the third quarter.

The defense did its part to help make that happen, forcing and recovering a fumble — which Johnson turned into a 16-yard TD run four plays later (two-point try no good).

Cue the running clock.

East Newton was able to avoid the shutout in the fourth quarter by recovering a Nevada fumble and cashing it in for a 6-yard touchdown pass.

But the Tigers junior varsity made up for it when sophomore tailback Tucker Duncan scored a 1-yard TD run late (two-point attempt no good).

The lopsided victory by NHS sets up a highly anticipated showdown with McDonald County (also 6-1) next week at Logan Field.