Brannon King

For the FCT

The Red Bay Tigers have found a recipe for success – a strong running game on offense and a stingy defense.

For the third straight week, the Tiger defense recorded a shutout and for the fourth straight week Red Bay got a win.

Friday night’s 36-0 home victory over the Sheffield Bulldogs improved Red Bay’s record to 4-2 overall and 3-1 in region play.

Just as they’ve done in previous weeks, the Red Bay defense and offense worked well together to get off to a good start in the game.

Red Bay’s Reed Holt intercepted a Drake Beavers pass to end Sheffield’s first drive and four plays later, the Tiger offense was on the board. Matt Senkbeil followed good blocking and raced 40 yards for the first of many Tiger touchdowns. Senkbeil also ran in the try for two and with 6:42 to go in the first quarter, Red Bay had all the points it would take to win the game.

Just before the end of the first quarter, Senkbeil would run 82 yards this time for another touchdown.  Austin Childers then began to get in on the scoring as he ran in the try for two giving Red Bay a 16-0 lead.

Sheffield’s Drake Beavers would take the ensuing kickoff 77 yards down to the Red Bay 1 yard line. The Red Bay defense then took on the challenge of keeping their shutout streak alive.  Three Bulldog running plays couldn’t cross the goal line and on fourth and goal from the Red Bay 1, Aaron Pride lost four yards and the Bulldogs were turned away.

Sheffield’s Terrance Adams ended Red Bay’s next drive when he picked off a Troy Borden pass.

Red Bay’s Matt Senkbeil wouldn’t be outdone as he returned the favor a few plays later picking off a Drake Beavers pass attempt.

Senkbeil couldn’t keep the following drive going though because of a fumble that was recovered by Sheffield’s Frederick Sledge.

If the first half was led by the scoring of Red Bay’s Senkbeil, the second half scoring mostly belonged to Austin Childers and the good blocking of the offensive line.

The two backs complemented each other to combine for almost 350 yards rushing on the night.  The entire rushing attack for Red Bay gained nearly 450 yards on the ground in the game.

Childers got his first TD of the night on a 3 yard run. The two point try failed, but Red Bay led 22-0.

Red Bay’s special teams put their defense in another tough spot when a dropped snap on a punt attempt gave Sheffield the ball at the Red Bay 16. The Bulldogs couldn’t capitalize though as a fourth down pass fell incomplete.

It only took Austin Childers two plays to run through the deflated Sheffield defense for a 83 yard touchdown run. Tyler Reach then got in on the scoring when he ran in the try for two and the Tigers led 30-0 late in the third quarter.

Red Bay’s Dustin Holland then recovered a Bulldog fumble to set up the final scoring drive of the night. This time, Childers ran four yards for the score giving the Tigers a 36-0 lead before the final try for two failed.

Taylor Weclowski of Red Bay would recover a late Sheffield fumble and Tate Ozbirn ran the ball hard the rest of the way to help finish off the big win.

Red Bay will travel to Cherokee next as the Tigers try to keep their winning streak alive and improve their record in region play.

“We’ve talked since really Tanner about controlling our own destiny.  We want to win the games that matter, these region games matter.  If we can win the ones that we are supposed to win then we don’t have to depend on somebody else to make the playoffs,” Red Bay coach John Ritter said after the game.