Versailles crushes Indians with 28-point third quarter (09/13/03)

VERSAILLES, Ohio — The Fort Recovery Indian football team kept its game Friday against Versailles close in the first half, but the Tigers scored four touchdowns in the third quarter to put it out of reach.

Versailles running back Ben Shappie scored the first points of the game on a two-yard run, and then caught a 54-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Gehle to give the Tigers a 14-0 first-quarter lead.

Fort Recovery responded midway through the second quarter when quarterback Mark Willmann hit Greg Faller for a touchdown from five yards out to bring the score to 14-6.

The Indians (1-3) were forced to punt with just over a minute before the half, and Tiger Gehle brought the kick back 80 yards to give Versallies a 21-6 halftime advantage.

Willmann finished the day 7-for-11 for 79 yards with an interception and a touchdown.

While the game was close at the half, the Tigers poured it on in the third, scoring 28 unanswered points.

Ryan McNelian had a 12-yard touchdown run, Gehle complemented his first-quarter touchdown pass with a 11-yard TD scamper, and then tossed another touchdown pass to Bart Schmitz from 23 yards out. Matt Murphy completed the third-quarter scoring spree with a 5-yard touchdown run with 31 seconds left in the devastating third quarter.

Indian running back Dominick Post brough the lopsided score to 49-12 on a 3-yard run late in the fourth quarter. Post had 50 yards rushing on 11 carries, and the touchdown run in the final period.

Faller had 59 yards on the ground for the Indians in addition to three receptions for 51 yards and a TD grab.

Fort Recovery managed a total of 117 rushing yards on 43 carries, and lost one of its three fumbles.[[In-content Ad]]