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Rashad Daniels (43) scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Westover High Patriots Saturday. Shine Rankin/sgasports.net

September 1, 2012

Tift County falls

Anonymous CNHI The Tifton Gazette Sun Sep 02, 2012, 12:50 AM EDT

TIFTON — Down by three points late in the game, the Westover High Patriots took advantage of a blocked punt and scored the winning touchdown in a 33-29 win over the Tift County Blue Devils Saturday night in Albany.

Westover blocked Mason Gann’s punt and Westover’s Brendon Wimbley took it into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown with 4:04 left on the clock.

It was the second blocked punt in the game for Westover. Both led to touchdowns.

The loss spoiled a big night by Tift’s Rashad Daniels.

A senior, Daniels rushed for 236 yards on 34 carries. He also had a touchdown in the game.

The Devils got on the board with a strong opening drive of the season.

Paced by Daniels’ seven carries for 58 yards, the Devils’ drive ended with quarterback Ryan Wedgeworth going in from one yard out for the touchdown.

Daniels had several runs in the drive, but on the scoring play he was on the sidelines after having lost his helmet on the play before.

Frankie Mejia’s point after made the score 7-0 with 6:20 left in the first quarter.

That was the only scoring in the first quarter as Tift’s defense did a good job of corraling the Westover offense led by former Blue Devil T.J. Cromer.

Ricky Sutton, Rashard Parks, Montez Galmer and Bryson Chaney were among the first half defensive leaders for the Devils.

That defensive pressure led to a Westover fumble that was recovered by Tift with 9:39 left in the second quarter.

The Blue Devils did not do anything with the possession and were forced to punt.

However, that kick was blocked and Westover took over on the 25 of the Blue Devils.

Cromer would later throw a 23-yard touchdown pass to give Westover a 7-7 tie with 5:25 left in the first half.

Tift quickly rebounded.

On the first play from scrimmage following the Westover kickoff Daniels broke off a 31-yard run.

Austin McCant would then put up his own long run on the drive that ended with Wedgeworth scoring his second touchdown of the night.

After that one-yard run, Mejia’s point after made the score 14-7 with 2:06 left in the first half.

Tift’s defense would hold Westover on the Patriots’ ensuing drive.

However, Daniels would fumble on the Tift 25 on the first play from scrimamge for the Devils.

Cromer would make Tift pay with 10-yard touchdown pass to Jackie Childs.

Chaney would block the point after to make the score, 14-13, at the half.

Early in the second half, a Westover fumble recovery led to a Patriot touchdown. The score came on a T.J. Wester 2-yard run.

The two-point conversion failed, but the Patriots were ahead 19-14 with 8:27 left in the third quarter.

Taking advantage of a long kickoff return by Austin McCant and a long run by Daniels, Tift retook the lead on a Wedgeworth to Beau Bergeron 15-yard touchdown pass.

There was a penalty for taking too much time keeping the Devils from trying a two-point conversion. The kick was then blocked making the score 20-19 in favor of Tift with 5:55 left in the third quarter

Westover answered with a long drive that ended on a 2-yard touchdown run by Cromer. After the kick, Westover was up by a 26- 20 score.

Later in the game, a great punt by Gann pinned Westover deep into its own territory.

Tift’s defense held, and on the ensuing punt, the snap went over the punter’s head and out of the end zone for a Blue Devil safety.

After a long return on the free kick by McCant, Daniels would give Tift the lead with a touchdown run. Meija’s kick made the score, 29-26, with 8:02 left in the game.

The blocked punt would later give the Patriots the win.

Tift will be back on the road Friday at Houston County.

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