FORT RECOVERY – Stats sometimes lie. The Versailles football team proved that statement true in a 35-14 victory over Fort Recovery Friday night.
The Indians outgained the Tigers 310 to 299, but the Tigers dominated the scoreboard. Most of the Indian yards came from Will Homan, who rushed for 218 yards on 25 carries.
“Fort Recovery’s running game is very, very good,” Versailles football coach Adam Miller said. “I thought we did a good job containing them and did what we needed to do to get the win.”
Versailles was led by Kurtis Rutschilling with 139 yards on 13 carries and three touchdowns. Rutschilling also had an interception and a fumble recovery.
The Tigers started the scoring after George Grow blocked an Indian punt, which was recovered by Tyler Henry at the 3-yard line. Rutschilling scored on a 3-yard run with 6:51 left in the first.
Versailles would make it 14-0 on a Noah Grisez 5-yard run in the second quarter.
Fort Recovery would get on the board with a touchdown pass with two minutes left in the half.
The Indians then got the ball back with 1:14 left in the half. The Tigers were forced to punt from their own 30, but a punt by Josh Steinbrunner pinned the Indians at their own 1-yard line. The half would end with the Indians having possession.
Fort Recovery took their opening possession of the second half to the Versailles 10-yard line before a forced fumble was recovered by the Tigers. A 90-yard drive was capped off by a 3-yard touchdown run by Grow with under four minutes to go in the third quarter.
The Tigers would score again at the beginning of the fourth quarter on a 2-yard run by Rutschilling. The score was set up with a 54-yard run by Rutschilling. With a 28-7 lead, the game appeared to be all but over.
“Kurtis had a hell of a night,” Miller said. “He runs hard and all the guys blocking for him … it was a good thing going.”
The Indians would not go down without a fight as they scored on their next possession, closing to within 14. Homan had his biggest run of the night, going 55 yards for a touchdown.
Rutschilling closed out the nights scoring on a 15-yard touchdown run with 6:42 left in the game.
The Versailles second string was put in on the next offensive series. The Tigers fumbled twice on the snap, the second was recovered by the Indians at the Tiger 37.
The Versailles defense stepped up with a sack and an interception by Rutschilling at the 5-yard line.
Jeffrey Ware converted all five of his extra points on the night. The defense had four sacks with AJ Ahrens having two. The Tigers also forced two turnovers.
Versailles travels to Parkway Friday night. The Panthers are 1-5 on the season but knocked off Spencerville in week two.
