Titans fall in home finale

MONMOUTH - The Monmouth-Roseville Titans senior class of 2010 had a tough loss for their final home football game.

A dominant offensive performance allowed the Sherrard Tigers to beat the Titans convincingly, 40-6.

Monmouth-Roseville looked like they might have things go their way on the first play of the game - a 27-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Drew Cole to senior Nick McLaughlin.

However, that drive resulted in a punt to their own 49-yard line.

Sherrard, averaging 36 points per game coming into Friday night’s match, scored on their first drive of the game on a 30-yard rushing touchdown by senior Nate Breiby to make the score 6-0 with 8:06 to go in the first quarter.

The Tigers threatened to score on their next two drives and got down to the Titans’ 5-yard line both times only to turn possessions over on downs.

Head coach Curt Crum said the defense really stepped up a couple of times during the game.

“They played hard and desperate,” Crum said.

The Titans weren’t able to capitalize on the turnovers, however.

After a couple of possessions that ended with punts, Cole was sacked in the end zone for a safety by James Stratton making it 8-0 Sherrard.

That play gave the Tigers some momentum as they scored on their next possession, a 10-play drive that ended with a six-yard rush by senior Zach Miller to make it 14-0.

The Titans were a couple of plays away from being down only 14-0 at halftime - a deficit they would have preferred than the 27-0 lead Sherrard had going into the locker room at half.

With 2:17 to go in the second quarter, Sherrard senior quarterback Logan Frye rushed for a 73-yard touchdown. After the extra point, Sherrard had a 21-0 lead.

The Titans fumbled on their next possession and the Tigers scored on the first play of the drive with a 41-yard touchdown pass from Frye to senior Mitch Heiar to give them a commanding 27-0 lead at the half.

Crum said it seemed like pretty much everything was going Sherrard’s way.“When things aren’t going the way we want, it seems like the ball just bounced their way,” Crum said.

The Tigers seem determined to shut the door on the game early in the third quarter when Cole was intercepted by Stratton for a 53-yard touchdown to make the score 33-0.

The Titans’ lone score came at the beginning of the fourth quarter on a 38-yard rushing touchdown by senior Bryan Wilson.

As a team the Tigers rushed 43 times for 330 yards. Frye completed five of his eight pass attempts for 119 yards and three touchdowns.

Zach Miller led the Tigers in rushing with 77 yards on 17 carries and one touchdown. Briby rushed for 62 yards on nine carries. Heiar caught two passes for 57 yards and two touchdowns.

Stratton and Leffel had seven tackles a piece to lead the Tigers defense.