Menu
NP falls to Knights in lengthy shootout
BAINBRIDGE – Lightning delayed the start of Friday’s battle between Northview and North Putnam. However, the real fireworks proved to be on the field as the Knights and Cougars lit up the scoreboard.
Northview was able to outlast the Cougars in a thriller, 41-35.
The teams piled up points and yards as Northview got five total touchdowns from quarterback Trey Shaw and the Cougars got 182 yards rushing and two touchdowns from running back Ethan Christy.
Northview got on the board on its first drive of the evening after Brylar Metz set things up with a big kick off return to start the game.
The Knights converted a fourth-and-six situation as Shaw found Trevor Cook on a seven-yard gain for the first down. Just three plays later it was Shaw on a seven-yard scoring run to put the Knights on top 6-0.
Shaw and Cook was a main hook-up during the first half offensive wave for the Knights as the duo combined for seven connections and 119 yards and a TD.
Meanwhile, Shaw was able to make the most out of six carries as he scored a pair of touchdowns and gained 39 yards.
The Knights got the ball back quickly, as a turnover derailed the Cougars’ second drive as QB Hayden Rudes connected with Lucius Alexander for a nine-yard gain. However, Northview’s Michael Heading was able to strip the ball free and Jarett Combs recovered the loose ball for the Knights.
Northview converted on the miscue four plays later as Heading broke several tackles on a sweep to the right side and scored from 15 yards out for a 13-0 Knights’ lead.
The Cougars’ ground game was successful for the most part behind senior running back Ethan Christy, who had 100 yards rushing before intermission.
However, the Knights put North Putnam in a 20-0 hole the following drive, as Shaw scored on an eight-yard run to start the second quarter.
North Putnam was able to respond, however.
After receiving the second-half kickoff, Christy got the Cougars rolling on a seven-play, three-minute scoring drive. The senior carried five times for 46 yards, including the five-yard score to get the Cougars within 27-14.
The Knights showcased their own running game in response to the Cougars’ quick drive to open the second half.
Shaw and Heading carried the load as Shaw ripped off a 20-yard run off the left side to finish off a 62-yard drive. Heading added 21 yards on three runs as the Knights went up 34-14 with 5:34 left in the third period.
The Cougars went into hurry up mode the following drive and it worked to perfection, as North Putnam did not huddle. The result was a four-play drive that took just a minute and 20 seconds as Chris Murray broke a couple tackles at the line of scrimmage and out ran the defense for a 48-yard TD for the Cougars.
Both defenses were struggling to catch up as the third quarter provided plenty of quick strikes for the offenses.
Lance Metz picked up 12 yards for the Knights on the first play of the following drive. The big play for the Knights was a 30-yard connection from Shaw to Cook down to the Cougars’ nine-yard line.
However, the Knights put themselves in a tough spot after a 17-yard loss on a bad snap set them up facing a fourth-and-goal from the 25-yard line. Cook’s heave to the corner of the end zone was incomplete, but a roughing the passer call on the Cougars gave the Knights a first down at the 15-yard line.
The mistake proved costly as a pair of Allen Haire runs set up a four-yard TD pass to tight end Evan Dutrow as the Knights went ahead 41-21.
Before fans could settle back in for the Cougars’ next offensive drive, Rudes found a wide open Dillon Binnion down the middle of the field for a 46-yard TD strike with 8:05 left in the game.
Needing a time-consuming drive to keep the Cougar offense off the field, the Knights got just what they needed.
Shaw picked up a key fourth-and-one with a seven-yard run to keep the clock running deep into Cougar territory. Facing a second fourth-down situation at the North Putnam 12-yard line, Northview had run nearly six minutes of clock during the drive.
The Knights attempted a 29-yard field goal, but the Cougars blocked the attempt to dodge a potentially fatal score.
North Putnam was able to convert its own fourth-down situation on a 29-yard pass to Bannion. The Knights sacked Rudes on the next play to force a timeout with 1:32 remaining.
However, the Cougars had Christy in the backfield as he blasted through for a 17-yard gain. Two plays later and he scored from three yards out to get the Cougars within 41-35.
Northview was able to recover the kickoff and run out the clock to finish off the win.
Northview 13 14 7 7 — 41
North Putnam 0 7 14 14 — 35
First quarter
Nv – Trey Shaw seven-yard run (kick failed), 8:30
Nv – Michael Heading 15-yard run (Dylan Boor kick), 5:10
Second quarter
Nv – Shaw eight-yard run (Boor kick), 10:15
NP – Hayden Rudes 27-yard pass to Gage Bell (Schmidt kick), 6:35
Nv – Shaw 42-yard pass to Trevor Cook (Boor kick), 4:55
Third quarter
NP – Ethan Christy five-yard run (Schmidt kick), 9:00
Nv – Shaw 20-yard run (Boor kick), 5:34
NP – Chris Murray 48-yard run (Schmidt kick), 4:14
Fourth quarter
Nv – Shaw four-yard pass to Evan Dutrow (Boor kick), 9:35
NP – Rudes 46-yard pass to Dillon Bannion (Schmidt kick), 8:05
NP – Christy three-yard run (Schmidt kick), 0:36
Individual stats
Rushing: Northview 40-252 (Shaw 14-101 3 TD, Allen Haire 8-16, Michael Heading 10-87 TD, Lance Metz 8-48); North Putnam 35-264 (Christy 21 182 2 TD, Rudes 23-46, Bell 1-(-1), Murray 1-48 TD).
Passing: Northview Shaw 12-15 172 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int.); North Putnam Rudes 10-16 161 yards, 2 TD, 1 Int.)
Receiving: Northview (Cook 10-161 yards TD, Evan Dutrow 1-4 TD, Jarett Combs 17); North Putnam (Davies 1-5, Bell 3-50 TD, Alexander 4-31, Binnion 2-75 TD).