Sunday October 22, 2006
Saints Don’t Miss A Beat On Either Side
The Saints forced four turnovers, converting two into touchdowns, and clobbered Cedarville 48-3 Friday at Champions Stadium. Shiloh Christian (8-0, 5-0 ) has outscored its 1-3 A Conference opponents 226-17 since star quarterback Matt Simpson went down with a dislocated foot in the final nonconference game against Greenwood on Sept. 15.
“Our defense came out on the first drive and played great,” Shiloh Christian Coach Josh Floyd said. “When you make a big play like an interception, everyone gets fired up, and that gets the crowd into it. It got the momentum going on our side.”
Austin Tucker completed 16 of 23 passes for 231 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 207 yards and 5 scores coming in the first half, to give the Saints a 35-0 halftime lead. He spread the scoring plays out to four different receivers, with Patrick Ryan and Crosby Tuck each scoring twice to lead the way.
“He had some great throws,” Floyd said of Tucker. “We did a better job protecting him after the first quarter. I thought our receivers did a good job getting open. I also saw our receivers make some good blocks downfield.”
Tucker found Bo Scott in the right corner of the end zone for a 35-yard scoring play to give Shiloh Christian a 7-0 lead on the game’s opening drive, which went 78 yards in 2: 43.
The Pirates fumbled the snap on their third play from scrimmage, and Adam Herring recovered at midfield.
Shiloh Christian didn’t add to its lead until its next drive, with Tucker hitting Tuck on a 13-yard pass, but the fumble recovery was one of two turnovers credited to Herring in the first half. Shortly after a 5-yard touchdown pass from Tucker to Ryan, Herring intercepted a pass by Cedarville sophomore Jeremy Cooksey, ripping it away from Jack Hardy early in the second quarter to give the Saints possession at the Pirates’ 33.
Defensive end Brandon McBryde made several key tackles for the Saints, and both of linebacker David Ingram’s two sacks went for 11-yard losses. Ingram, who also starts at running back, caught 4 passes for 60 yards and 1 touchdown.
“All three of them played great,” Floyd said of Herring, McBryde and Ingram. “Brandon was in the backfield all night. Obviously, David is a huge force for us on defense, even though everyone just talks about his offense.”
The Saints turned their second turnover into another score, extending their lead to 28-0 on a 28-yard pass to Ingram, who ran in after catching the pass near the 20.
“They killed us,” Cedarville Coach Mike Guthrie said of the turnovers. “The first time we had the ball, we fumbled. You can’t compete in ballgames turning the ball over.”
Cedarville failed to convert on fourth down after a sack by Ingram, allowing the Saints to begin another drive in Pirates territory, at the 43. Three plays later, Tucker connected with Ryan on a 9-yard pass for Shiloh Christian’s final touchdown of the half.
The Saints held Cedarville to 61 yards rushing and 51 yards passing. Cooksey completed just 2 of 6 passes for 28 yards and an interception before he was lifted in the second half.
“Jeremy didn’t have much help tonight,” Guthrie said. “I thought we came out and played hard when we could. We were a little out of synch.”
The Saints recovered a fumble early in the third quarter and added another touchdown on a 6-yard pass to Tuck. They scored one last time on a 12-yard strike from Tyler Cole to Sam Taylor with 4: 46 left in the game.
Cedarville scored its only points on a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter by Brad Gibson.