Wolverines beat Stillwater 54-18 after first-half setbacks

STILLWATER | Following a first half with many misfires, the Warrensburg/North Warren-Lake George Wolverines rebounded with their powerful offense, bulldozer blocking and steely defense to defeat Stillwater 54-18. Early in the game, the Wolverines were stopped on fourth-and-one situations three times, and committed mistakes in blocking. Also, their tacklers tripped up, players committed holding fouls, a punt was fumbled, and leading player Tristen Hitchcock was sidelined with an ankle injury, Wolverine coach Mike Perrone said. However, the team managed to secure a first-half score of 16-12, with a first-quarter 22-yard touchdown run by Landon Olden converted by a Brody McCabe run, and a second-quarter touchdown with the roles reversed: McCabe charged three yards into the end zone for six points, and Olden ran for the extra two points. "Nearly everything went against us in the first half," Perrone said. "It started out as a really tough game." But Hitchcock returned for the second half, which fired up the Wolverines to focus and play smart and hard, Perrone said. "Hitchcock is gutsy and tough, and his return to the game was a big confidence boost to our other players — they really stepped up," Perrone added. In the third quarter, the Wolverines scored three touchdowns and topped off each one with two-point conversions, while holding Stillwater scoreless with their tenacious defense. Landon Olden scored the first of these three touchdowns with a 66-yard run, Brody McCabe accomplished the second by rushing 13 yards, and Hitchcock achieved the third by hitting a hole in the line hard — a gap opened up by his tenacious teammates. In the fourth quarter, Luke Sheldon caught a pass from quarterback Caden Allen on a 16-yard touchdown play, and running back Brody McCabe eluded Stillwater tacklers on a 68-yard run into the end zone. The latter was finished off with Olden running for a two-point conversion. In between, however, Stillwater standout Lukas Lilac added 6 points by running for a touchdown on a 75-yard kickoff return. Perrone said he was proud of how his athletes rebounded in the second half, noting how sophomore linebacker Bobby Starratt — elevated from junior varsity — blocked Stillwater's All-Star lineman, enabling Olden's 66-yard touchdown; and how Brody McCabe devised this play in a huddle. "This was a moment that I will remember for years to come," Perrone said. The Jeckel brothers, Andrew and Nick, were prominent in defense against Stillwater in the second half. Together, they sacked the Stillwater quarterback for a loss of 10 yards, and they each blocked a kick by the Warriors: Nick impeded a punt and Andrew swatted down an extra-point attempt. Over the game, the Wolverines amassed 572 rushing yards and totaled 588 yards gained, while the Warriors tallied 109. Next up for the Wolverines is a home game at 7 p.m. Friday Oct. 7 against Hoosick Falls-Tamarac. Perrone said the matchup is a challenge for Warrensburg, as Hoosick Falls-Tamarac is 3-1 for 2022 and talented. "This will be a huge game," he said, adding that his players were well prepared for the battle.

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Wolverines beat Stillwater 54-18 after first-half setbacks

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