Game Recap: #1 Tulsa NOAH vs #3 TCW
On October 14, 2022, the Tomball Christian Warriors lost to the #1 ranked Tulsa NOAH Jaguars. The game was close and ended with a final score of 16-15. Multiple turnovers allowed the Jaguars to win with a field goal in the last few seconds of the game. The Warriors now have a record of 4-3.
During the first quarter, the Warriors played two series on offense and two on defense. They were set to receive the opening kickoff, but it was short and the Jaguars recovered it before the Warriors could. Tulsa NOAH got the ball at the Warrior 9 yard line. A TFL by CB/RB Daniel Abraham and an incomplete pass on 3rd and 15 forced the Jaguars into kicking a field goal. WR Jackson Resurreccion received the kickoff and took the ball to his 30 yard line. OLB/RB Caleb Harmon had a run for 10 yards to start the first Warrior offensive drive. QB Drew Harrison completed a pass to OLB/RB/FB Garrett England for 12 yards, giving the Warriors 1st and 10 at the NOAH 45 yard line. Back to back sacks stalled the drive and K/WR Ethan Rice punted on 4th and 13. The ball was placed at the NOAH 20 yard line and the defense took the field. Garrett England began the series with a 5 yard TFL, followed by a 5 yard TFL by CB/RB Anthony Carias. Caleb Harmon tackled the running back at the line of scrimmage and the Jaguars prepared to punt from their own 10 yard line. The snap went over the punter’s head, into the end zone, and out of bounds for a safety. The score was now 3-2 in favor of the Jaguars. Jackson Resurreccion returned the kickoff to his 45 yard line and the offense went to work. The first play of the drive was an incomplete pass. It was followed by two penalties on Tulsa NOAH that gave the Warriors back to back first downs. It was 2nd and 8 at the NOAH 25 yard line when the first quarter ended. The Jaguars were ahead 3-2.
In the second quarter, both teams turned the ball over. This led to five different series on offense for the Warriors and five on defense. Their offensive drive from the first quarter continued on 3rd and 7 at the opponent’s 22 yard line. Drew Harrison threw an interception and the defender would have scored, but OLB/C Peter Zbylot chased him down and made the tackle at the Warrior 3 yard line. Unfortunately, the Jaguars scored a rushing touchdown on the very next play. The extra point was good and Tulsa NOAH expanded their lead to 10-2. On the kickoff, Caleb Harmon returned the ball all the way to the opponent’s 33 yard line. At first, it looked like the offense wasn’t going to take advantage of the good field position. Two rushes by Daniel Abraham and an incomplete pass put the Warriors at 3rd and 6 at the opponent’s 29 yard line. Instead of sending out the field goal unit, the offense stayed on the field and Drew Harrison completed a 12 yard pass to Jackson Resurreccion. On the next play, Garrett England made a great catch in the end zone for a 17 yard touchdown reception. The extra point was good and the score was now 10-9 with 8:11 left in the second quarter. On the kickoff, Anthony Carias tackled the returner at the opponent’s 25 yard line. The Jaguar offense only gained one first down on the next series and they punted from their 45 yard line on 4th and 8. Daniel Abraham called for a fair catch at his 20 yard line and the Warrior offense took the field again. A run for no gain, a 5 yard sack, and an incomplete pass forced them to punt from their 15 yard line. After two rushes, the Jaguar offense faced 3rd and 3 at the Warrior 26 yard line. Anthony Carias intercepted an underthrown pass near the goal line and returned the ball to the offense. They had possession at their 2 yard line and Garrett England had a 5 yard run to start the series. Another interception by the Warriors gave the ball back to the Jaguars at the 12 yard line. The defense was able to force a field goal attempt after three straight incompletions. The field goal was good and the Jaguars expanded their lead to 13-9 with 33 seconds left in the second quarter. Jackson Resurreccion had another excellent kickoff return, taking the ball from within his 20 yard line to the opponent’s 48 yard line. Caleb Harmon continued to make an impact in the run game as he started the series with a rush for 13 yards. Four straight incompletions ended the possession and the Jaguars knelt to end the first half of the game. The score was 13-9 in favor of Tulsa NOAH.
In the third quarter, the Warriors played two series on defense and one on offense. The Jaguars received the kickoff to start the second half and T/DE Timothy Muhle tackled the returner at the NOAH 25 yard line. The drive was nearly 15 plays long and ended with a field goal attempt from the Warriors’ 6 yard line. The field goal was no good and the Warriors had the ball at their 20 yard line. Two penalties on Tulsa NOAH helped sustain the drive, in addition to a 12 yard run by Caleb Harmon. The offense made it to the Jaguars’ 20 yard line on first down, but four straight rushes couldn’t get them a first down. The Jaguars got the ball back after the Warriors were unable to convert on 4th and 5. The last play of the third quarter was a run for no gain by the Jaguars with DE Jeremiah Wilkins making the tackle. Going into the fourth quarter, the score was still 13-9.
In the fourth quarter, the Warriors played five series on defense and three on offense. They turned the ball over three times and the Jaguars turned it over once. The offensive series from the third quarter continued with a 2 yard pass tackled by Daniel Abraham and a pass that was nearly intercepted by MLB/RB Conner Burke. The Jaguars punted on 4th and 8 from their 17 yard line. The ball fell at the 46 yard line and the Warrior offense took the field. They weren’t there for long as the first play of their drive was a fumble. The defense held the Jaguars to 3rd and 10 at the 43 yard line before a penalty gave them a first down at the Warriors’ 38 yard line. Garrett England had a 3 yard TFL on the next play. On 2nd and 10 at the 25 yard line, Caleb Harmon intercepted a pass and outran the Jaguar offense for a 75 yard pick 6. It was his third interception of the season. The Warriors tried a two point conversion but were unsuccessful. They took the lead for the first time in the game. The score was 15-13 with 6:18 left in the fourth quarter. Ethan Rice’s kickoff was a touchback and the Warrior defense forced a three and out. The Jaguars punted on 4th and 10 at their 20 yard line but once again, the Warriors failed to recover the ball. The defense was on the field for seven plays before they forced the Jaguars into 4th and 2 from the 37 yard line. They attempted a pass but it was overthrown and the Warriors received the ball at their 37 yard line. On the third play of the drive, they fumbled again and the TCW defense took the field. Two complete passes and two QB sneaks drained the clock and brought the Jaguars into the red zone. With 10 seconds left in the game, they kicked a field goal. The score was now 16-15. They kicked off to Jackson Resurreccion, who returned the ball to the NOAH 43 yard line. The offense had 10 seconds to score. Drew Harrison threw a deep pass to Ethan Rice, but the ball was tipped. The game ended with a final score of 16-15 in favor of the Jaguars. The two teams were evenly matched and even with six turnovers the Warriors only lost by one point. The defense played well and only allowed 64 passing yards from the opponent. Overall, the game was close and showed that the Warriors are definitely capable of beating the #1 ranked homeschool team, even if they couldn’t get it done on Friday night.
QB Drew Harrison completed 3 of 14 passes for a total of 41 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. His quarterback rating was 23.8. Caleb Harmon led the team in rushing yards with 10 carries for a total of 60 yards. Daniel Abraham had the second most with 15 yards on 6 carries. Garrett England had 3 carries for a total of 12 yards. Garrett England led the team in receiving yards with 2 receptions for a total of 29 yards, including a 17 yard touchdown. Jackson Resurreccion had the second most receiving yards with a catch for 12 yards.
Caleb Harmon led the defense in tackles with a total of 12, including 2 TFLs. He returned an interception 75 yards for a defensive touchdown. Conner Burke had the second most tackles in the game with a total of 11. He also had 1 TFL. DE/DT/T Mark Haynes had the third most tackles with 10 and 2 TFLs. Garrett England had the fourth most tackles with a total of 9. He also had 3 TFLs. NG/FB/DT Joe Cassidy, Peter Zbylot, Daniel Abraham, and Anthony Carias each had one TFL as well. Anthony Carias also had an interception.
I interviewed CB/WR Anthony Carias about playing the #1 ranked homeschool team, his interception, and the biggest defensive challenge during the game.
Ella: Tulsa NOAH is the #1 ranked homeschool team in the nation. Taking that into consideration, how do you feel about the team’s overall performance tonight?
Anthony: I felt like we struggled on offense but we maintained our response on defense. We could have pursued and basically executed better on offense. But it’s a team sport and we can’t just blame it on one person or another.
Ella: What did you do well in today’s game and what can you improve on?
Anthony: I’d say I did well blocking on special teams and on the interception near the goal line on defense. But I feel like I should have played tighter on defense. More man to man coverage and just not let the people around outside of me; keep them contained.
Ella: What kind of offense did the defense prepare for and did it match what you saw on the field today?
Anthony: I feel like we watched enough film to know what their offense was running today. The defense did a great job today and there’s only so much we can do for an offense to go out and execute.
Ella: Who are some of your teammates that stood out to you tonight?
Anthony: Number one of course, Caleb Harmon. Jackson Resurreccion. And then Garrett, just going for the tackles; hitting them hard. Reagan especially for blocking #16, the D1 prospect.
Ella: What was the biggest challenge on defense in this game?
Anthony: I think just lining up against their formations and then suspecting what holes they would punch through with the run. Because overall we had them on pass coverage so they couldn’t really throw anything deep, just everything inside or underneath.
Ella: What happened on your interception?
Anthony: Me and him were just running down the field and I saw the ball come over my head. I guess he just threw it way underneath where the receiver couldn’t even try to catch it. So I just stood there and caught the ball.
Ella: How does the result of tonight’s game affect your perspective on Nationals?
Anthony: It doesn’t really affect my perspective on Nationals. I think- no, I know- we can beat them. Yeah, we can beat them. We just have to execute, execute, execute. Remember the plays, study them, and just watch more film.
Note: The Warriors play the DASCHE Spartans for their homecoming game on Friday, October 21, 2022 at 7 pm. The game will be at the Farm League. Check social media for any changes.