By Cade Kennedy, Sports Editor
The Northwestern Rangers football team lost to the East Central Tigers, 31-3, Saturday night at Koi Ishto Stadium in Ada.
The Ranger offense struggled throughout the game, as the team only mustered 254 yards of offense. Northwestern did not find room to run the ball, as only 61 yards came on the ground.
After winning the coin toss, the Tigers wanted to receive to start the game.
This decision worked in East Central’s favor, as the Tigers went on a lengthy drive that ate up the first seven minutes of the game.
The 13-play drive ended when Alexis Lopez drilled a 35-yard field goal to give East Central a 3-0 lead.
On the Rangers’ first play, quarterback Tanner Clarkson connected with Darian Gill on a 57-yard pass that immediately put the Rangers in the redzone.
After back-to-back runs for no gain and an incomplete pass, the Rangers had to settle for a field goal.
The kick went up but fell to the ground after a Tiger swatted the ball into the turf. Both teams struggled after their opening drives, as the 3-0 Tigers lasted until the final minute of the first half. With 48 seconds remaining in the second quarter, the Tigers got the first touchdown of the game after plowing into the endzone on a one-yard run. At halftime, East Central had a 10-0 lead.
The Rangers marched down the field in the second half with a combination of short passes and runs by Clarkson but did not score a touchdown. Connor O’Neal kicked a 32-yard field goal to cut the deficit down to seven early in the third quarter.
Both teams then traded turnovers, with the Tigers fumbling and Clarkson throwing an interception.
The Tigers capitalized on the pick, as Kenny Hrncir found Jayquan Lincoln in the endzone for a touchdown to make the score 17-3 in favor of East Central.
In the fourth quarter, the Tigers tacked on two more touchdowns, with both drives being 89 yards long.
When the clock reached zero, the Tigers defeated the Rangers, 31-3.
The next game for the Rangers is on Saturday, when Northwestern plays Ouachita Baptist at 2 p.m. at Ranger Field. The Rangers have not beaten the Tigers since joining the Great American Conference. Last season, the Tigers defeated the Rangers, 64-17.