Thursday, Oct. 17
The Salem Tiger seventh grade team defeated West Plains 48-8 on Thursday night.
It’s been an incredible season. Our coaches have done a fantastic job, putting in a ton of time and effort for these boys. The coaches have put players in the right spots to be successful this year. The middle school coaches are Jerry Creek, Nick Gover, Lonnie Lee, Brandon Schloemer and Jared Patterson.
Running back Weston Tackett started the game with a nice touchdown run and scored again later in the game for a two-touchdown performance. Running back David Brooks Jr had two great runs which led to two scores in the game as well. This thunder and lightning duo of Brooks Jr. and Tackett will be fun to watch the next several years.
Fullback Eli Decker has done an incredible job leading the way blocking for these backs. Decker scored on a two-point play to extend the lead for the Tigers. Offensive linemen Ty Hogan, Owen Parker, Brantley Thompson, Bryce Coates, Braxton Hopkins, Madden Schloemer and Ben Hobson have done a great job all season and they deserve a lot of credit for our great run game.
On defense, nose guard Weston Tackett had a big fumble recovery against the Zizzers that led to a touchdown drive. The defensive line of Tackett, Coates, Schloemer, Hobson and Parker have great push and control the line of scrimmage.
Middle linebacker Thomas Lewis had several tackles and added another fumble recovery in this one. The linebackers for the Tigers - Lewis, Decker, Hopkins and Hogan - made plays all night and dished out big hits. Our secondary of Brooks Jr., Ryker Huff and Carter Kissir did a nice job of making the tackles to hold the Zizzer passing game in check. It has been a remarkable year for this seventh grade team.
Salem outscored opponents 276-22 this season with an undefeated record of 6-0.
Eighth Grade
The Tiger eighth graders beat West Plains 40-0, their fourth shutout on the season.
Offense was clicking all night and led by the big boys up front of Drake Smith, Westyn Ragsdale, Gregory Sapaugh, Brayden Ganschinietz, Levi Smith, Lucas Jennings and Dylan Jennings. Backs shared the scoring effort in this one with six different Tigers scoring. Running back Tripp Creek got the Tigers on the board first with a touchdown. Creek is one of the toughest kids I’ve ever coached, he has a huge heart and a ton of grit. Running back Jake Gover outran the defense to put another score on the board. Running back Nick Hardecke showed off his skills with a nice move to get in the end zone. Running back Keegan Grunden showed off his speed getting to the edge and sprinting in for a touchdown. Power back Colby Malone ran through defenders to add to his great season for another touchdown score.
Quarterback Nick Ferreira is a man of many talents. Ferriera scored a touchdown on offense and then intercepted a pass on defense and also recovered a fumble in this game. Nick has been a leader all year and played his heart out in every single game.
Our defense has only allowed an unbelievable amount of 14 points all season!
The defensive line of Drake Smith, Lucas Jennings, Dylan Jennings, Ryder Steelman, Nick Ferreira and Jake Gover got pressure on West Plains on almost every single play. Linebacker Colby Malone sets the tone for our defense, and he smashed several Zizzer players in this game.
Linebackers Tripp Creek and Keegan Grunden did a great job of slashing in and making tackles on the Zizzers runners. Our secondary of Jacob Pipp, Malijah Rice, Connor Timbrook and Brayden Ganschinietz did a great job of not allowing any big plays and keeping the shutout alive. This is a very special group and I’m so happy they accomplished their goal of going undefeated this year.
Salem eighth grade outscored opponents 250-14 this season with an undefeated record.
Both Salem Middle School Football Teams finish undefeated with a 12-0 record. To my knowledge this is the first time that’s ever happened in Salem’s history. To say I’m proud of this group is an understatement. These are two incredible groups of young men on and off the field. I couldn’t be prouder of the work ethic, dedication and overall team effort from these boys. They have worked so hard this season and have reaped the benefits.
The future is very bright for these groups, and I can’t wait to see all the things they accomplish.
Go Big Blue!
