Mark Glenn

Sports Editor

TIPTON — The machine keeps rolling along. For the Tipton Tigers in their playoff game with Wesleyan Christian it was the same song for the 12th time. Tipton romped past the Mustangs 46-0 which ended at halftime because of the 45 point mercy rule, something that has happened in all of the Tigers games this season.

The visitors from Bartlesville simply could not contend with the speed of the Tigers, who rolled up 374 yards of offense in one half. Tipton averaged 16. 7 yards per snap. It was obviously an explosive night for the Tigers who three times scored on the first play of a possession. Their other touchdowns came on drives four, five and eight plays.

Defensively Tipton’s swarming defense limited the Mustangs offense to just 55 yards and had six tackles for losses.

Senior running back Josh Torres and sophomore Bryant Flores did most of the damage on the ground. Torres ran seven times for 127 yards and two touchdowns. His touchdowns came on a 38 yard run and a 43 yard scamper. Flores carried six times for 106 yards with a 56 yard run for a score.

Torres scored two other times on touchdown passes from quarterback Gerald White. One covered 53 yards. The other was three yard pass play.

White threw to Josh Danna on a beautifully executed screen pass for 48 yards for another score.

Whites completed three of four passes for 104 yards and three touchdowns.

“I think our speed gave their size a lot of trouble,” Tipton Head Coach Jim Kerbo said. “I think it was hard for them to gauge our speed or simulate in their practices. I think it overwhelmed them early and once got rolling our guys kept going and going. Their an experienced group and they knew when they had them down, to keep their foot on the throttle. They followed the game plan really well, and I thought they shut everything down pretty well.”

It is a team that just took care of business as they have every game this season and Kerbo attributed the players love of the game.

“These guys just like to play. I have to run them off the practice field every day. They stay, do extra stuff. When it’s time to go eat supper, I’m trying to run them off the practice field.”

Game notes: Wesleyan quarterback Brian Deal suffered a neck injury late in the game and was taken to a hospital by ambulance. His reported had feeling in his fingers and had good vital signs. He was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure.

The top ranked Tigers will turn their attention toward next week’s semifinals against Sharon-Mutual, a 48-0 winner over Thackerville in the quarterfinals. The time and site of the game is expected to be announced today or Monday.

Game in Figures

First downs, Tipton 12; Wesleyan 3

Yards rushing, Tipton 270: Wesleyan 29

Yards passing, Tipton 104: Wesleyan 26

Passes, Tipton 3-4; Wesleyan 2-9

Fumbles lost Tipton 0: Wesleyan 0

Interceptions, Tipton 0; Wesleyan 0

Punts, Tipton 1-34; Wesleyan 4-33

Penalties, Tipton 3-20; Wesley 4-20

How They Scored

Tipton - Josh Torres 38 run, Gerald White run, 8:15, 1st qtr., Tipton 8-0

Tipton - Bryant Flores 56 run, White run, 7:41, 1st qtr., Tipton 16-0

Tipton - Torress 53 pass from White, conversion pass White to Danna, 7:24, 1st qtr., Tipton 24-0

Tipton - Danna 48 pass from White, Clark run, 3:31,. 1st qtr., Tipton 32-0

Tipton - Torres 3 pass from White, Terrance Rushing run, 9:44, 2nd qtr., Tipton 40-0

Tipton - Torres 43 run, run failed, 6:40 2nd qtr., Tipton 46-0

Individual Statistics

Tipton

Rushing

White 3-28; Flores 6-106, 1TD; Torres 7-127, 2TDs; Danna 1-7; Rushing 1-4; Knight 1-(-2)

Passing

White 3-4-104, 3TDs

Receiving

Torres 2-56, 2TDs; Danna 1-48, 1TD

Punting

White 1-34

Wesleyan

Rushing

Deal 14-24; Romines 4-14; Chinn 2 (-9), Heidorn 1-0

Passing

Deal 2-26; Revard 0-2

Receiving

Hamman 1-13; Revard 1-13

Punting

Miller 4-33