Tigers and Rutland Always A Battle
Game Three Another Tough Test For Tigers
Tuesday September 16, 2008
By Mike Cameron
There were plenty of unanswered questions coming into this one played under the lights this past Friday night on Rutland High School's beautiful new artificial playing surface. The Raiders were riding high after a second week win against a strong Essex club at Essex. It would be the second Division 1 notch in their win column two weeks running. South. Burlington and Essex had both fallen to the Raiders via impressive performances.
The Tigers have had a rough initiation into the 2008 season.
A win against Otter Valley resulting in some bumps and bruises and a loss at Hartford by a lopsided score plus an injury to their top player gave the Tigers coaching staff plenty of reasons to check for grey hairs.
Would it get any better at Rutland? On paper the answer was obvious but the game isn't played on paper and over the years, Middlebury has played Rutland tough when the Tigers were loaded and when they were lean.
As per usual Rutland was big, fast and deep.
The Raiders have developed another scrappy scatback in the person of Senior Jeff Perry. Like the Tigers Sean Harrison , Perry can score from anywhere on the field. One quick step at the line of scrimmage and he can be off to the races. Harrison is a more versatile player and when you add his strength and athletic ability, he is an equalizer in any game when he is healthy. But in the second week against Hartford, Harrison reportedly suffered two ankle injuries and starting QB Dane Liljestrand was also sidelined with an injury. Neither would be able to play against Rutland.
Even in a loss when Middlebury gave up 41 un-answered points, the Tiger fans hoped their team might use such a wake-up call in this one to their advantage against the heavily favored Riders. It wasn't to be.
Out-manned and out-gunned Rutland would prevail 37-0 as the Raiders christened their new artificial playing surface with a Friday night football game at Alumni Field on September 12, 2008. The field was officially opened with a Soccer match won by Middlebury earlier in the month.
Rutland quarterback Trevor Olson threw two TD passes and Rutland's offense racked up 329-yards total on the ground adding another 100-plus through the air while holding the Tigers to zero first downs.
Rutland started out fast and never looked back. They led 23-0 at the half and Coach Mike Norman used plenty of bench in the second half. Scattbacks Jeff Perry and Jack Spratt let the Rutland ground attack.
The Tigers got solid efforts from Ryan Foley, Cooper Quenneville and Troy Audette. but the Tiger offense just could not get it going in this one and were held to just 23 yards. Middlelbury hopes to regain the momentum this week when they will be on the road at Saint Johnsbury Academy.
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