Generals shed losing streak with 34-7 win over Orrville

  • brian questel
  • October 31, 2012
  • 305
                        
110412 WooOrr Promo: Finally! Generals put an end to losing streak in showdown against Red Riders Generals shed losing streak with 34-7 win over Orrville By Brian Questel It was hardly the season Doug Haas was hoping for. The ending was another matter. The first-year Wooster coach watched his team suffer its share of disappointments during a 3-7 campaign, but its season-ending 34-7 victory over archrival Orrville snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Red Riders. That was the longest losing streak either school had endured in the 102-game history of this rivalry and one that Haas was happy to be on the winning side. “Obviously it was disappointing in terms of (our final record), but obviously to end our season this way in our last game is great,” said Haas. “We played very well in all three phases. For our last game to be Orrville, and our rival, makes it all the more sweet. “The 7-game losing streak was a burden the seniors carried more than they let on gauging from their reaction. I’m happy for them to conclude their season with a win and end the losing streak. It being their last game, it’s important. With it coming against Orrville makes it doubly important.” Wooster has had little trouble scoring this year, but the key had been its inability to stop opponents from simply outscoring them. Not so against the Red Riders. The Generals struck for a trio of second-quarter touchdowns to lead 27-7 at halftime and they made that stand. The Generals added another second-half score, but they didn’t need it. On seven second-half possessions, the Generals’ defense slammed the door on any OHS comeback, limiting the Riders to a mere 14 yards in offense. That effort left the Generals, and Haas, in a celebratory mood. “I think we threw the ball 28 times and ran 34 – we had solid balance,” said Haas. “I wish we had run the ball a little better (34 for 109 yards), but we ran it well enough to keep them honest. Defensively, we generated five turnovers – three picks and two fumbles – and that helped. We changed field position as our special teams pinned them inside the 20 twice, maybe three times.” A goal-line stand right before the half may have been the key for Wooster, noted Haas. In several of its losses, Wooster had enjoyed 14-point leads but allowed them to turn into defeats. Mindful of that, Haas sang the praises of his defense on that series after a 54-yard pass play allowed the Riders to set up first-and-goal at Wooster’s 5. The Generals denied that threat by Orrville to turn it into a two-score game at the half, in part thanks to a Kevin Komara sack on fourth down. “When it was first and goal at the 5 before the half and we turned them away with zero points,” said Haas when asked it there was a critical moment for Wooster. “That was a pretty strong point for us. We kept it at three scores and we got the ball back to start the third quarter. That was a huge effort from a defensive standpoint. “I think the emotion played into it a little. We knew what we had to do. We knew what our Achilles’ heel all year had been and we made a concerted effort to focus on that,” Haas added. “Getting stops on defense, taking care of the ball on offense, utilizing field position – those are all things where our kids started to evolve and grow and learn. Unfortunately it happened in Week 10 and not sooner. But, from a springboard standpoint into next season and the offseason, it was a great learning moment for us.” It never hurts to get the first score either, and that came as the Generals’ capped a drive midway through the first quarter with a 3-yard pass from Cam Daugherty to Mason Tomblin. A huge momentum swing occurred in the in the second quarter when the Generals’ Marcel Anderson intercepted a pass to end an OHS scoring threat at the 17. On Wooster’s second play from scrimmage, following Anderson’s pick, Daugherty hit James Preston with a short pass and the speedster jetted to the end zone to make the score 14-0. Preston used his speed on Wooster’s next two possessions as well, turning a pair of screen passes into 45- and 47-yard touchdowns to extended the Generals’ lead to 27-0. Preston ended the night with a monster half with six receptions for 190 yards and finished with eight for 225 and the Benden Award as Wooster’s outstanding player of the game. Daugherty sealed the win with a fourth-quarter score, connecting with Darrian Owens on a 38-yard score. Daugherty finished the night completing 11-of-27 passes for 279 yards and only one interception. Tomblin carried the bulk of the load on the ground, finishing with 94 yards on 21 trips. “I think first one (TD) was a fairly methodical drive and a good red-zone call,” said Haas. “ Some of things we had envisioned seeing, taking a short pass and turning it into long gain with likes of James and Darrian, that’s what their capabilities are. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do that consistently all year, but there was no better time to come up with than the Orrville game. “What a great way to send the seniors off on a high note against an arch-rival and springboard the young kids into the offseason. This raised the expectation of Wooster football.”


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