Big 2nd half propels Tornadoes to 1-0

During the first half Friday night, it was easy to tell it was the first game of the season. With both teams trying to feel each other out, while also trying to figure themselves out offensively, it was Fremont Ross with an 11-6 advantage.But after a blunder gave the Little Giants two free points on a safety to end the half, Columbian came out a totally different team and had a different attitude and physicality. After an impressive second half, the Tornadoes started the season 1-0 after a dominant 27-11 win at Frost-Kalnow Stadium.Yeah, we gave up two points there at the end of the half, but I told Zach (Shawberry) I'll give up two points at a chance for seven," TC coach Judd Lutz said. "I don't know how many times we went for it on fourth down around midfield even with a bunch of nobodies – well no one knows them yet – but they executed at a high level."Neither offenses really got anything going in the first quarter until Ross (0-1) got inside the redzone, but the drive stalled. Bryce Estep then drilled a 34-yard field goal to give the Little Giants a 3-0 advantage.But the Tornadoes responded.After a 16-yard pass completion from Shawberry to DaShawn Russell, TC moved the ball down the field on three runs until Shawberry found an open Jack Newlove in the end zone for a 20-yard TD strike. However, the extra point was missed.Ross came right back with a response as well as quarterback Karson Kayden ran in a 4-yard TD, but that extra point was blocked, so the score was 9-6 late in the opening half.The Little Giants had the momentum and could've really put the pressure on the Tornadoes to end the half with a drive that got to TC's 1-yard line, but TC's defense got the stop with 46 seconds left in the half.After a run up the middle for a yard, instead of running out the clock or even having to run another play, TC took a timeout and then Shawberry under pressure threw the ball away in the end zone, which resulted in a safety for the Little Giants."That call at the end of the half is one me," Lutz said. "We lined up and they gave us a look at where I thought we had a shot – we have some speed on the outside – so we thought we had a mismatch, but we overthunk it as they say."But at the same time, we're going to be aggressive. That's one of the pillars of our program is to be relentless and the fear of losing is never going to get in the way of winning."Even with the gift of two free points, Ross couldn't get anything going in the second half. When TC kept scoring and running the ball right at the Little Giants, they didn't have an answer."Yeah, we got a safety there, but we really should've been punching that in there, but in the second half they just out-physicaled us," Ross coach Chad Long said. "They were able to just run the ball and we had some kids we had to rotate around because some other kids got knicked up, but give credit to Tiffin, they came to play in the second half. "Just physicality, we had a couple turnovers and that was the difference, along with the physicality. We couldn't get off the field on defense because of that physicality. They had a great game plan, so hats off to them. They played an excellent second half."Midway through the third quarter, Shawberry hit Johnny Bremyer in stride for a 30-yard TD reception and then right after TC took a 14-11 lead, Ross fumbled the ensuing kickoff, which Mitch Stephey recovered for the Tornadoes. Four plays later, Brady Bonnell plowed his way into the end zone to give TC a 21-11 edge.He then added another TD run (2 yards) to begin the fourth to really put pressure on Ross, who is not a passing team, which was evident as Newlove and Xavier Matthewson both picked off Kayden to close it out.The new-look backfield duo for the Tornadoes combined for 194 yards rushing as Bonnell had 106 yards and Masen Seitz added 88 yards on the ground."Weston Reinbolt spoke to the team last night about watching Nick Newland, another hall of fame inductee and Steve Newland, watching highlight tapes of Columbian football and seeing those guys carrying the ball and looking at and even pointing at guys in the secondary and wanting that contact," Lutz said. "If there's a choice to run to the sideline or through a player, we choose the player, but yeah we have that kind of attitude and we have a bunch of hungry dudes. They haven't eaten, so we got some hungry mouths and hungry hearts and it showed."