Tornadoes get by Truckers, win 3rd straight game

NORWALK – Add another 'W' in the win column.Second week on the road and it was against a familiar foe.Columbian came into Contractors Stadium expecting to leave 2-0 in SBC Lake play and did just that.The Tornadoes defeated Norwalk 21-16."We had to find a way to get it done on the road in the SBC," TC coach Judd Lutz said. "We did some really good things, some really bad things. We made some good plays, so did they."But Columbian wasn't satisfied with the win.Columbian (4-3, 2-0) received the ball to start. Eating roughly five minutes off the clock in the first quarter, and started on its own 37 yard line.Four plays later, Logan Gooding connected with Daelan Brandeberry on the 24-yard line of Norwalk (3-4, 0-1)From there, after a 15 yard penalty pushed it back to the 28, Gooding found his connection with Johnny Bremyer in the end zone that was good for a touchdown. Connor Reese had his point after count.The Truckers couldn't get anything going offensively, as they fumbled the ball on their own 26 yard line, which the Tornadoes recovered it.TC converted a second and 10 on the Truckers' 23 when Gooding once again hit Bremyer for a 22-yard pass. Brock Siesel rushed up the middle on the next play at the one yard line for the touchdown with 5:22 remaining in the first quarter. "Getting out of the gate hot was crucial for us," Lutz said. "We had a ton of momentum, and then we started going back and forth in those scores a little bit. We never truly put them away."A little bit before the end of the first half, Norwalk was desperate to make a move. On a fourth-and-11 from the 28 of TC and nowhere to go, Thomas Vanderpool kicked a field goal that was almost blocked. It put three points into the column for the Truckers.It was his longest of the season, being 45 yards. He had kicked it 37 yards in week 1 and is 2-2 on field goals."Our kids continue to battle hard," Norwalk coach Keith Mora said. "We are a defensive team. We didn't get to do what we wanted to do, and that was to get the play action pass game going."TC was able to keep the Truckers from scoring in the third, but a minute after the fourth quarter started, Brady Singer found Cade Evans for a 58-yard touchdown. Vanderpool point after attempt was no good. With 8:55 remaining in the game, and wanting to close the gap, Brady Singer passed to Kaedyn Warner, which brought the Truckers within striking range at the three yard line. AJ Weilnau finished off the 10 play drive with a three-yard carry into the end zone. Vanderpool's point after went through the uprights."We are worried about one week at a time," Lutz said. "We have to keep winning. The (playoff) points will take care of themselves. You win and you can control that. We have to stay in the winning column and accumulate those points. Can't do anything special to make it happen."