Football can’t ‘catch’ a break

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Tiger Paw

Joey Rounds (11) attempts to catch the potential game tying touchdown in the final minute of the 2019 homecoming game.

The OHS Tigers put up a good fight during the Homecoming football game on Oct. 18. But the final OHS possession of the game put people in a frenzy.

The Tigers, trailing the Northwest Lions 21-13, drove down the field looking for a touchdown and the two point conversion to send them to overtime. In the final minute, Hunter Iffland (12) passed to Joey Rounds (11) in the endzone. The ball was caught but the pass was called incomplete because Rounds stepped out of bounds before catching the ball. This pass could have been the game tying touchdown if the Tigers could have converted on the two-point attempt.

After the play was officially called, the fans were irate. Boos rang from everyone on the home side of the stands, all directed at the referee.  

The Tigers, with one more chance to tie the game, came up short, throwing an incomplete pass and turning the ball over. Northwest, with the ball, took a knee in the final seconds to close out the game and secure the win.

“I don’t think I stepped out, there were a lot of questionable calls throughout the game,” said Rounds. But, he added, “This 13-point game should give us hope and some momentum….”

The 13 points the Tigers put on the board were thanks to touchdowns by Alex Winter (11) and Fred Caruthers (12). Winter caught a pass from Iffland in the first, then booted the extra point to tie the game. Then, in the fourth, Caruthers ran the ball in from the one yard line to cut the deficit to 21-13.

The record currently sits at 1-7, with four of the seven losses being shutouts. The Tigers get ready to play at Mehlville against the Panthers on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. in the annual pink out game.