BOTTLED UP

RED OAK — The Red Oak Tigers closed out their regular season with a 42-20 loss at home against the Atlantic Trojans Friday night.

“We don’t quit and you can’t fault their effort. I love these guys. We just have to get better,” Tigers head coach Andy Yost said after the game.
The Trojans first drive consisted of several third-down conversions, leading up to a 3-yard keeper by Atlantic quarterback Parker Hoye for a score, to give the Trojans a 7-0 lead. “We have to convert on third-down and hold them and get the ball back,” Yost said.
The next Trojans touchdown came on a 34-yard run by Sam Markham, giving Atlantic a 14-0 lead.
The Tigers fumbled the ensuing kickoff, giving Atlantic the ball in Red Oak territory. A reverse pitch touchdown pass to Tyler Johnson made the score 21-0, in favor of Atlantic.
Atlantic would get the ball again, with an interception on the Red Oak 12 yard line. Hoye ran another keeper into the endzone, to make the score 28-0.
Atlantic made it 35-0 on the next Red Oak drive when Joshua Perkins returned a 27-yard fumble for a touchdown.
Red Oak ate up much of the clock and compiled yards on the next drive. An 18-yard reception, to coincide with a 15-yard roughing the passer and offsides penalty, moved the Tigers deep in Trojan territory.
Quarterback Dakota White sneaked it in from one-yard to put the Tigers on the board, as the score at half was 35-7. White finished the night with 48 yards passing on three-of-six attempts.
The Tigers began the second half with a three-and-out. However, a Tanner Johnson 61-yard interception return brought the Tigers back into Atlantic territory. Red Oak managed to convert a fourth and four with a four-yard run from Cole Meek.
The Tigers had another fourth down, but the drive halted when White was sacked.
Atlantic’s final touchdown came late in the third quarter when Phillip Iekel ran it in from two-yards out. The score was 42-7 by the end of the third quarter.
The Tigers worked with a continuous clock as they put up two fourth quarter touchdowns to halt the clock for the rest of the game.
“It’s great for us because it keeps our defense off the field and consumes clock,” Yost said. “To get those drives and to sustain a couple of long drives was a big deal for us because we were punting and giving them the ball to score.”
The first touchdown came on a 13 play, 10 plus minute drive, commencing with a Seth Esias 23-yard touchdown run. The score was then 42-14 in favor of the Trojans. Esias finished the night with 66 yards on 17 carries. Esias finished the season as the team’s leading rusher with 281 yards.
“Seth Esias is a brute. He runs the ball hard,” Yost said. “I think we have some real talent in the backfield. We just need to bring it along.”
On the next drive, a botched snap led to a 38-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Nick Leinen. The score was 42-20 after the missed PAT. Leinen also had 28 yards on seven carries.
Cole Meek had 10 tackles (three of them solo), to go along with 29 yards rushing. Leinen and Esias each combined for 21 total tackles.
With the loss, the Tigers finished the season 1-8 overall and 0-7 in the district.