High School Football: N.H. Wildcats 39, Y.C. Wildcats 8
YATES CENTER Ill-timed penalties and the lethal one-two punch of Northern Heights quarterback Marcus Waters and running back Cameron Heiman proved troublesome Friday for Yates Center High.
Waters tossed four touchdown passes, three in the second quarter alone, while Heiman did a little bit of everything running, passing and receiving in Northern Heights 39-8 win.
The loss drops Yates Center to 1-3 on the season.
We had our chances, Yates Center head coach Ryan Panko said. Some untimely penalties did us in. We couldnt get any rhythm offensively.
To wit:
A 42-yard run late in the first quarter from freshman Kendrick Jones put Yates Center inside the Northern Heights 10, with the hosts trailing 6-0.
But consecutive penalties, one for delay of game, the second for illegal procedure, turned a second and 8 into second and 18. Three plays later, quarterback Kayle Smiths fourth-down pass attempt fell incomplete, giving Northern Heights the ball.
Later, two touchdowns, including an 85-yard kickoff return from Nolan Jones, were wiped off the board because of holding penalties.
Yates Center eventually dented the scoreboard with 3:50 left in the game on a 4-yard Thayne Smith touchdown run. By then, Northern Heights led 39-0.
Meanwhile, Peters and Northern Heights Cameron Heiman, found several creases in the Yates Center defense for a number of big plays, including a back-breaking 30-yard touchdown pass as time expired in the second quarter.
Unofficially, Jones paced Yates Center with 101 yards on 18 carries, while Thayne Smith added 56 yards on nine carries. Kayle Smith was 1 of 5 passing for 17 yards. Jones had the 17-yard reception.
Heiman had 124 yards on the ground, connected on both his pass attempts, covering 19 yards, and chipped in with three receptions for 32 yards to lead Northern Heights. Waters hit on 9 of 14 passes for 153 yards.
Yates Center travels to Leon-Bluestem next Friday.
