Tigers fight off the Fort (09/16/06)

FORT RECOVERY - The Indian offense put on one of its best performances of the season Friday.

But it was no match for a Versailles rushing juggernaut that racked up 420 yards on the way to a 40-27 victory.

The Tigers passed just once for a total of 14 yards, but the ground game - led by Tony McNeilan, who rushed for 192 yards, and Jonathan Murphy, who rushed for 109 yards - was dominating. Both McNeilan and Murphy chalked up a pair of touchdowns.

Fort Recovery's Toby Metzger, meanwhile, completed 19-of-45 passing attempts for 227 yards and a TD. He was intercepted just once.

Metzger also rushed for a touchdown and 79 yards. Matt Tobe led the Indians in the running department with 89 yards.

Versailles scored first with 7:03 on the clock in the first quarter on a 4-yard run. Murphy picked up his first TD of the night at 1:21 in the first, making it 12-0. With no time left on the clock in the first quarter, Fort Recovery scored on a Metzger pass to Tobe.

Murphy's second touchdown for Versailles came at 7:43 in the second quarter on a 5-yard run. Ethan Oliver found the end zone for the conversion, making it 20-6 at the half.

The Indians charged back in the third, scoring on a Metzger run with 8:39 on the clock. But Versailles answered back with McNeilan scoring on a 74-yard run.

Fort Recovery responded with 4:50 on the clock with another rushing TD by Metzger to pull within 28-20, only to have Versailles answer with another McNeilan TD.

A Tobe 66-yard touchdown run came with 17 seconds on the clock in the third, and Staugler hit his third extra-point kick of the quarter to make it 34-27.

A final Versailles TD early in the fourth quarter put the game out of reach.[[In-content Ad]]