Willard outscores Plymouth for second win

The Willard football team started fast and closed strong in a 50-28 win over host Plymouth on Aug. 28 in a non-conference game at AlumnI Field. The Crimson Flashes (2-0) totaled 477 yards of offense in the win. They jumped out to a 20-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Quarterback Jake Rothhaar threw touchdown passes to Paxton Flores (4 yards) and Grant Poston (75 yards)in the first half, with Poston's going for 75 yards. Poston caught four passes for 122 yards in the first half. Flores also returned a fumble 58 yards for a touchdown to help put Willard up 21-0. Plymouth (0-2) did claw itself back into the game. Isaiah Miller scored on a 67-yard run at the 6:43 mark of the second. After Willard quickly countered with Rothhaar's long TD to Poston, the Big Red started the scoring in the second half with a short field are the Flashes fumbled away a punt. That TD, a 7-yard run by Miller, cut the deficit in half at 28-14 with 9:25 left in the third. Willard then put together a long scoring drive to go ahead 34-14 with 4:18 left in the third on a 4-yard run by Rothhaar. But barely a minute later, Miller scored on a 49-yard run to trim the deficit to 34-21 with 3:16 left in the third on Lincoln Distl's third of four extra points. But the Crimson Flashes closed the door with two more touchdowns to push the lead to 50-21 with 10:19 left in the game. Flores scored on a 16-yard run, and AJ Speller scored on a 12-yard run. Plymouth then closed out the scoring with a late touchdown from Miller, a 3-yard run. Rothhaar was 13-of-21 passing for 269 yards and the 2 TDs for Willard. The QB ran 24 times for 155 yards and 2 TDs. Miller ran 19 times for 172 yards and all four touchdowns for Plymouth. The Big Red will host Wellington on Friday (Sept. 5) next week, while the Flashes entertain Vermilion at Terry King Stadium on Saturday (Sept. 6). Willard 14 14 6 16 — 50 Plymouth 0 7 14 7 — 28 WIL — Paxton Flores 4 pass from Jake Rothhaar (conversion failed) WIL — Flores 58 fumble return (Flores pass from Rothhaar) WIL — Rothhaar 1 run (conversion failed) PLY — Miller 67 run (Distl kick) WIL — Grant Poston 75 pass from Rothhaar (Rothhaar run) PLY — Miller 7 run (Distl kick) WIL — Rothhaar 4 run (conversion failed) PLY — Miller 49 run (Distl kick) WIL — Flores 16 run (Rothhaar run) WIL — AJ Speller 12 run (Rothhaar run) PLY — Miller 3 run (Distl kick)