Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Hometown celebrates Sausage Bowl
Odessa senior running back Corbyn Neilson breaks outside for a 64-yard touchdown run against the Waterville-Mansfield Shockers in a Class 1B matchup last Friday night in the Sausage Bowl. Odess won the game, 68-14.
Senior Odessa quarterback Sean DeVore passes over the top of a Waterville-Mansfield defender during last Friday night's victory.
ODESSA - The community celebrated the Odessa Tigers on Friday night, as the local boys overpowered the visiting Waterville-Mansfield Shockers, 68-14, during the Sausage Bowl.
With Odessa leading 34-6 at halftime, students took to the field for the Chicken Dance, a tradition at both the game and downtown when Deutchesfest is celebrated.
The Shockers (1-2) opened the scoring on their first possession of the game, putting 6 points on the board on a Max Murison off-guard run with 9:19 to go in the first quarter.
But on the ensuing Odessa possession, fired up senior half-back Corbyn Neilson took the handoff and raced 64 yards for a score with 7:55 left in the quarter. Tucker Walter added the 2-point coversion for an 8-6 lead.
The Shockers struggled on offense, thereafter, and turned the ball over on downs.
This time from their own 48-yard-line, senior quarterback Sean DeVore would hit Neilson on a 52-yard TD strick. The 2-point conversion failed, and Odessa took a 14-6 lead with 3:19 remaining in the quarter.
And Neilson wasn't done yet.
Still in the first quarter, Neilson would take a handoff from DeVore and race 83 yards off a broken play and score again.
With 5 seconds left in the first, Odessa was already celebrated with the Tigers holding a 20-6 lead.
The Shockers opened the second quarter with the ball.
But junior outside linebacker Miller Stout would pick off a pass, giving Odessa good field possession with 9:02 to go in the half.
Neilson got the call again, and this time ran off guard for a 34-yard score. Again the conversion failed.
Odessa led 26-6 with 8:12 left in the half.
The Shockers would try to run the clock down, but couldn't convert enough first downs to keep Odessa's offense of the field.
After turning the ball over on downs, DeVore got the call to pass.
And with 40 seconds left in the half, he completed a 48-yarder to Walter, who also added 2 points on the conversion and Odessa led 34-6 heading into halftime.
After the half, Neilson was the offensive point man, again.
On a broken sweep to the right, he raced 43 yards up the left side of the field for another TD. The conversion failed and Odessa had a 40-6 lead.
On the next set of downs, the Shockers' Junior Mendoza would fumble a toss sweep. Odessa sophomore Walter Sawyer was there to cover the loose ball at the 46 yardline.
Tiger junior Aiden Valine got the handoff on the next play, broke through the line and rushed 54 yards for the score. The 2-point conversion was good, and Odessa led 48-6.
The Shockers again turned over the ball on downs, and Odessa got the ball back at the 39 yard line.
The Tigers moved the ball up the field.
And with 3:21 to go in the third quarter, Neilson scored on a 5-yard run. The 2-point conversion failed.
Odessa led 54-6.
The Shockers' finally got on the board again.
Cash Ruiz broke several tackles and scored on a 45-yard run with 1:01 left in the third. The 2-point conversion was good, with the margin now at 54-14.
That would be the end of scoring for Waterville-Mansfield.
Odessa would score again on a 30-yard run by Valine with 11:48 to go in the game and 23-yard run by Neilson.
The final TD came with a 2-point conversion, setting the final score at 68-14.
Tiger Coach Joe Schlomer was happy with his offense.
"We have a 3-headed monster in our backfield," he said. "We're going to enjoy this one, then get ready for Selkirk."
He credited Neilson for a strong offensive performance.
"He's the rock we lean on," he said.
As for defense, he said Stout and Cason Watson had great games.
Despite the highlights, Schlomer said the team has to execute plays better if its going to keep winning.
This Friday, the Tigers travel to Selkirk to take on the Rangers (1-2), who lost last Friday to Cusick, 34-24.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Roger Harnack is the owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Having grown up Benton City, Roger is an award-winning journalist, photographer, editor and publisher. He's one of only two editorial/commentary writers from Washington state to ever receive the international Golden Quill. Roger is dedicated to the preservation of local media, and the voice it retains for Eastern Washington.
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