By Mark Monosky

The North Jefferson News



The Tabernacle Torches picked up their fourth win of the season by blowing out the Calvary Christian Watchmen, 60-6.

“Defensively we made some progress tonight. We got up field and we were a little more intense,” said Tabernacle head coach Keith Dabbs. “We’re still not were we need to be, but we improved. That was what I was looking for tonight for our defense to be a little more aggressive. Offensively going into the game I felt like we would score points and we did. We did what I thought we would on offense. But I was please defensively that basically all we gave up was six points on a long kickoff return. Defense did a good job.”

The scoring started on Tabernacle’s first offensive possession. Quarterback Landon Ingle threw a screen pass to Matt Wade, who ran it 37 yards for a touchdown. This completed an 8-play, 59-yard drive and gave the Torches a 6-0 lead.

Tabernacle scored again on their next offensive possession. This time Matt Wade ran it in from 8 yards out to complete a 7-play, 56-yard drive. On the 2-point conversion, Ingle passed to Dylan Hargreaves to make the score 14-0.

The defense scored the next Tabernacle touchdown, when Wade picked up a Calvary backward pass and returned 62 yards for the touchdown. This was Matt Wade’s third touchdown of the first quarter. Wade also ran in the 2-point conversion to give the Torches a 22-0 lead.

The scoring didn’t stop in the second quarter. The Torches scored on their opening drive of the quarter when quarterback Dylan Hargreaves threw a 21-yard pass to Jared Higginbotham for a touchdown to complete a 4-play, 36-yard drive. Steven White ran in the 2-point conversion to make the score 30-0 Torches.

Calvary Christian finally got on the scoreboard, when on the ensuing kickoff the Watchmen’s Gary Jackson return the ball 73 yards for a touchdown. This made the score 30-6.

But it didn’t take long for Tabernacle to answer back. Matt Wade scored his fourth touchdown of the half when he caught another Landon Ingle screen pass and returned it 53 yards for the score.

Ingle ran in the 2-point conversion to make the score 38-6.

Tabernacle scored yet again after a Matt Wade interception stopped a Calvary drive. This time running back Fred Goodgame ran it in from 37 yards out. The touchdown completed a 4-play, 53-yard drive and gave Tabernacle a 44-6 lead.

The Torches scored one more time right before the half. After the Torches recovered a fumble on the kickoff, the Tabernacle offense drove the ball 35 yards in six plays for another touchdown. This time Wes Axt ran it in from six yards out and after Goodgame ran in the 2-point-coversion, the Torches took a 52-6 lead into halftime.

In the second half, Tabernacle scored one more time. Bradley White recovered a Calvary fumble at the Watchmen’s 10-yard line, two plays later the Torches’ Frank Doganiero ran it in from 9 yards out. Nathan Foster ran in the 2-point conversion to help make the final score 60-6.

The Tabernacle defense only gave up 28 yards total in the game, while the Torches offense put up 385 yards in the game.

The Torches next game is Oct. 3, at home against Flint Hill.