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NYSSA – Starting the season, the Nyssa football team dealt with COVID restrictions with both players and coaching staff, injuries and two losses to Idaho teams. With a now full roster and coaches back on the sidelines, the Bulldogs found their first win with a 38-6 victory over the Ontario Tigers on Friday, Sept. 17 in Nyssa. The game was the first league game for both in the combined hybrid classification.
Nerves were evident for both teams at the start of the game. Ontario promptly took the opening kick off and went three and out. Nyssa’s first possession quickly ended with a fumble recovered by the Tigers. Ontario capitalized off the turnover with a 36-yard pass from Ruben Hernandez to Marcos Martinez for the Tigers’ lone score of the game. With 5:38 left in the first quarter, Ontario led 6-0.
Related: Photo Gallery – Nyssa v Ontario – Larry Gillum – John Braese
The Bulldogs quickly responded with a 26-yard run for their first score on the legs of Landon Macdowall. With the extra point good, Nyssa grabbed an 8-6 lead as the first quarter came to an end.
Macdowell added a 3-yard run in the second quarter at the 8:50 mark and as the two teams went to the locker room for the half, the Bulldogs led 16-6.
The Nyssa run game continued in the third quarter as Mcdowell went around the left side of the Tiger defense for an 11-yard scamper into the end zone. The Dawgs closed out the third quarter with a one-yard dive through the middle by Santiago Miranda and as the fourth quarter started, Nyssa led 30-6.
The Bulldogs placed the final points on the board with 3:35 left in the game as Ryan Talbot took a pitch off the right side and ran past the Tiger defense. Nyssa was again able to convert on the extra point for a 38-6 win.
“This is a new offense tonight and we were able to execute,” said junior Andrew Enders. “We worked hard this week to get these plays right and it showed tonight.”
This was Enders first game back as the junior quarterback had sat out the initial two games due to a shoulder injury. His return opened up the Bulldog offense as Enders was able to elude the Ontario defensive rush on numerous attempts.
“It is nice having Andrew back,” said Mcdowell, the leading scorer for Nyssa. “The coaches were calling the right plays and we were doing them correctly.”
“I saw tonight that we are putting the pieces together,” said Nyssa head coach Lance Lovitt. “We need to clean up the penalties, but this was a great win for us. Now that Andrew is back, we will work on some timing issues. The team really came together tonight and showed what we can be.”
