PATCH GROVE – The dynamic duo of sophomore quarterback Brandon Davis and junior fullback Andrew Nies proved to be too much for visiting Southwestern/East Dubuque to contend with last Friday night.
Davis and Nies combined for 250 yards rushing and three touchdowns in a 36-24 Six Rivers conferencevictory over the WarCats, which propelled the Timberwolves to a league record of 2-1 and an overall mark of 5-2.
Running the read option to perfection, Davis led all rushers with 140 yards on 14 carries, including a one-yard touchdown dive late in the second quarter.
The sophomore quarterback not only averaged 10 yards per rushing attempt, but also completed 4-of-14 passing attempts for 70 yards, including a 51-yard TD strike to Matthew Nies in the closing seconds of the first half.
When taking the handoff from Davis, Andrew Nies averaged five yards per carry on 22 carries, rushing for 110 yards, including scores of 2 and 3 yards.
The Timberwolves struck first Friday night, putting together a scoring drive late in the first quarter to take an 8-0 lead into the second.
There, they added two more scores in the final three minutes, including a long TD strike from Davis to Matthew Nies with just 11 seconds remaining in the half.
At the intermission, the Timberwolves held a 22-6 lead over the WarCats, which they added to with two more scores in the third quarter, taking a decisive 36-6 advantage into the fourth.
The WarCats added three scores in the fourth quarter to cut into River Ridge’s lead, but proved to be too little too late.
The Timberwolves did most of their damage on the ground, rushing for 347 yards and four touchdowns on 50 attempts.
Aside from the 250 combined yards from Davis and Nies, Brady Bunge added 63 yards on six carries, including a seven-yard TD run early in the third quarter. Drake Barrineau also chipped in 34 yards on five carries.
Of the five pass completion by River Ridge, Bunge hauled in three receptions for 19 yards, while Matthew Nies had one grab for a 51-yard score, and Carter Copsey one catch for 32 yards.
Copsey actually caught more passes from Southwestern/East Dubuque quarterback Aidan Colin, coming away with two interceptions from his defensive back position.
The WarCats concluded the contest with 287 yards of total offense, gaining 176 on the ground and 111 through the air.
Bunge led the River Ridge defense with eight tackles, followed by Andrew Nies with seven and Matthew Nies with five. Matthew Nies and Eli Hamilton combined for the team’s only sack.
Next up for the Timberwolves is a meeting with league-leading Potosi/Cassville (3-0, 6-1) this Friday night. The Chieftains are coming off a 41-20 victory over Black Hawk/Warren
