Somerset —
There are four ways to score a touchdown.
Will Lange did it three of those ways last night and led the Briar Jumpers to a 49-6 win over the Shelby Valley Wildcats.
The game was never in doubt, with Somerset scoring touchdowns on seven straight possessions, and putting the most points on the board of any game this season.
It took just two plays into Somer-set’s first possession of the game for Junior Running Back Bryson Jones to bust through the line for a 53 yard touchdown. After the Wildcats went three and out, Jones tacked on another 23 yard carry, setting up the pass to Cheuvront to the endzone for what would have been the second score of the game but for a block in the back call that brought the ball back to the 20.
No problem for Tanner Gadberry: he just threw the ball again, this time to Will Lange for the second touchdown of the game for the Jumpers.
A Wildcat fumble after a monster kick from Chandler Dobbs set up the third touchdown for the Jumpers. It felt so good to throw a touchdown pass that Gadberry decided to run it in himself from the 7.
All this took place with less than two-thirds of the first quarter even gone yet.
Two minutes later, after the Wildcats had tried and failed again to move the ball, Lange again took the punt and danced down the field 70 yards for the touchdown.
That was Lange’s third touchdown in under 10 minutes of play. He did it by catching a pass, by running from scrim-mage, and by the kick return. All he was lacking was a pass interception or a scoop and score.
True, the Wildcat team came in under strength: they brought only 26 players from Pike county
True, the Wildcat team is very young.
True, the Wildcats have a couple of players out to injuries.
But even considering all those things, Somerset didn’t let up on the execution and the pressure until it was very clear that the ball game was clearly out of reach and the 45-point lead “mercy rule” went into effect. For the whole second half, the clock continued to run and the game played on.
Some players were able to break out last night and achieve some goals we had all been waiting for. Tyler Megargel has made some crucial interceptions this year, but until last night, he had never scored a touchdown. When he did, he looked a great deal like Chris Collingsworth, reaching out in the corner of the end zone to haul in the football.
“I knew Coach was going to call it for me,” Megargel said, “and I was going in with confidence that I could bring this one in. But I wasn’t too cocky cause I have dropped a few in my day and I knew I had to hold on to it. I had a few steps, I was in the corner of the end zone, and I just caught it.”
But it wasn’t just the offensive efficiency that Somerset showed that proved to be the game winning edge. The defensive line as a whole, with emphasis on Tevin Slaughter, Kagen Skidmore, Hayden Fox, and Tyson Williams showed the strength that has made it famous and certainly respected if not feared.
It also looks as if Quarterback Tanner Gadberry is in the process of carving out a new niche for himself.
“Tanner Gadberry has assumed the new role at outside backer,” Jumper Assistant Coach Matt Singleton said. “Add that to playing quarterback and a little bit of fullback, and he becomes the utility guy like Alex Lange was last year. It is always good to have a guy who can do all those things for you.”
Jumper Head Coach Robbie Lucas had high praise for his team’s performance, adding “We came out injury free: that’s the biggest thing in the world. We need to go back to the drawing board and start work and start focusing on Lexington Christian on week 2.”
LCA beat Leslie County at Leslie County last night by a convincing score of 34-26. They will return to the Briar Patch with adequate incentive for revenge of the 12-9 loss they suffered here on October 12.
Next game will kick off at 7:30 November 9.
Scoring Summary
Shelby Valley 0 0 0 6 —6
Somerset 28 21 0 0 —49
First Quarter
Somerset — Bryson Jones 53 run (Chandler Dobbs kick), 7:58
Somerset—Will Lange 20 pass from Tanner Gadberry, (Dobbs kick) 5:05
Somerset—Gadberry 7 run, (Dobbs kick) 4:39
Somerset---Lange 70 punt return, (Dobbs kick) 2:41
Second Quarter
Somerset---Lange 7 run, (Dobbs kick) 11:43
Somerset---Tyler Megargel 10 pass from Castle Hatcher, (Dobbs kick) 10:00
Somerset---Hatcher 4 run, (Dobbs kick) 1:01
Fourth Quarter
Shelby Valley — Justin Bowling 6 run, kick failed 3:57
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Shelby Valley—Chandler Rowe 7-70; Brandon Lacey 7-16; Justin Bowling 1-6(1TD); Mason Johnson 5-4; Tyler Richardson 3-15; Corey Griffith 5- minus 5; Trent Tackt 1- minus 10; Somerset—Gadberry 2-13(1TD); Brycen McWilliams 7-52; Bryson Jones 2-76 (1 TD); Hatcher 3-40 (1TD); Will Lange 1-9 (1TD); Cannon Reynolds 2-2; Addison Thompson 1-minus 5; Matt Jones 1-6, Dylan Keith 2-14.
PASSING—Shelby Valley—Cory Griffith 1-5 (1 INT). Somerset---Tanner Gadberry 1-20 (1TD); Castle Hatcher 2-11(1TD)
RECEIVING—Shelby Valley—Andrew Newsone 1-14; Somerset—Will Lange 1-20 (1TD); Tyler Megarger 2-11 (1TD)
KICK RETURN—Shelby Valley—Austin Elswich 4-89; Tyler Richardson 1-7; Somerset—Cam Cheuvront 1-32; Will Lange 1-70 (1TD); Patrick Williams 1-17; Jalen Jones 1-25, Castle Hatcher 1-40
INTERCEPTION RETURN—Tyson Williams 1-14
