Mistakes Plague Tigers Opener

By Chris Tramel

It was far from a normal game last Friday night as the DCHS Tigers football team kicked off their 2020 season. Some might say it was a victory just being able to play this year, with the Covid-19 pandemic still gripping the country. Social distancing, temperature checks at the gate, and the stands half full of masked fans proved it was not a typical game for DeKalb County, but the Tigers wanted more. It would not be the outcome they hoped for.

The season opener saw the Warren County Pioneers come to town, a border-rival team the Tigers have faced 16 times since 2005, with the Pioneers winning nine of those games. It would be a tough, hard-fought and sometimes emotional game, but the Tigers would be plagued by key mistakes at critical times.

It didn't take long for the Pioneers to strike, with a quarterback keeper by C.J. Taylor running for a 53-yard touchdown on their first play from scrimmage. Steven Tony Curtis kicked the extra point, giving the Pioneers a 7-0 lead.

The Tigers looked to answer with their first possession, mounting a drive that would take them down into Warren County territory, but a fumble gave the ball back to the Pioneers. Warren would drive to mid-field, where another keeper by Taylor put the Pioneers on the board again. The extra point would be good, putting Warren County up 14-0 with 5:10 left in the first quarter.

DeKalb's next possession saw QB Axel Aldino open up the passing game. Completed passes, and a couple of off-sides penalties took the Tigers up to the Warren 45. That's when a completed pass to Desmond Nokes resulted in a nasty facemask, with the defense pulling Alexander down by his helmet.  Tempers flared, and a near brawl ensued. The melee resulted in penalties on both sides, but with the Pioneers getting the worst of it. The ball was placed on the Warren 29, where the next play saw an Aldino pass to Isaac Knowles in for a touchdown.  An extra point attempt went wide left, but the Tigers were on the board.  Warren was up 14-6, with 2:06 left in the first quarter.

The Pioneers' next drive began at their own 29. From there, Taylor lead an 11-play drive that would push Warren County down to the DeKalb 20. From there, a completed pass had the Pioneers in the end zone. The extra point was good and Warren was up 21-6 with 8:36 left in the half.

Undaunted, the Tigers mounted a drive of their own, beginning at the DeKalb 32. The Tigers pushed all the way to the Pioneers' 18, where an incomplete pass on fourth down gave Warren County the ball. From there, the Tigers' defense stepped up, holding the Pioneers three downs with no gain.

The ensuing punt gave DeKalb the ball back at the Warren 37. From there Aldino again opened up the air attack, finding Nokes and Travante Alexander. On a third and five play, from the Warren 20, Aldino then found Nokes in the end zone for a touchdown. A two-point conversion try failed, but DeKalb was still in the game, 21-12 with 1:49 left in the half.

Ball control plagued both teams as the third period began. The Pioneers recovered a Tigers' fumble on the Warren 20, then the Pioneers handed the ball back with a fumble recovered at their own 43. Aldino then found Alexander in the end zone with 11:17 left in the third. The two-point conversion attempt failed, but the Tigers cut the gap, 21-18.

The Pioneers next drive took them down to the DeKalb 19, where they would stall. A field goal attempt was good, and Warren County extended its lead, 24-18, with 7:02 left in the third.

The Tigers mounted a drive that took them into Pioneer territory, but on a pass play, Alexander slipped and Aldino was intercepted at the Warren 35.

The Pioneers would drive to mid-field where their drive would stall, and they punted, then DeKalb could do no better. On fourth down, the Tigers were set to punt, but a bad snap resulted in great field position for the Pioneers. Taking over at the DeKalb 33, Warren County drove to the 23, where a Taylor keeper had them in for six, with 7:55 left in the game. With the two-point attempt no good, the Pioneers were up, 30-18.

Time was now the enemy of the Tigers, but the team kept pushing forward. The kickoff gave DeKalb the ball at their own 45. A combined passing to Evan Jones and Knowles, along with runs by Aldino and Nathaniel Crook, took the Tigers down to the Warren 10 yard line. There, an Aldino pass to Alexander gave the Tigers six more points. The two-point conversions attempt failed, but the Tigers cut the Warren County lead, 30-24, with 3:46 left in the game.

As it turned out, that would be the last gasp for the Tigers. An onside kick would not go DeKalb's way, and the Pioneers were able to run the clock down.

After the game, Head Coach Steve Trapp told the Smithville Review that it was critical mistakes that put his team behind. "We said that the team that had the least amount of mistakes would have the best chance to win the game, and just like last year, we were the team that made the most mistakes. Special teams, bad punt snaps, and three turnovers, that doesn't bode well. Tackling was an issue."

"We're going to bounce back," he continued. "I don't have to question my guys' effort at all. We did a lot of good things out here, but you have to execute, you have to calm down, and do the things you're coached to do."

"The 'R' in Tiger Pride is 'Resilience.' I appreciate my guys' heart, I appreciate their grit, I appreciate how hard they played, but the biggest lesson is, you have to be the team that doesn't make those types of mistakes."