NILES Rayen tops Dragons in nail-biter

Ryan Wallace's interception in the final minute sealed it for the Tigers.
By JIM FLICK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NILES -- A determined offensive line paved the way for sophomore running back Gary Thornton to lead The Rayen School to a 19-14 victory over Niles Friday night at Bo Rein Stadium.
Thornton gained 127 yards and scored two touchdowns. On seven of his 19 carries, the 5-foot-8, 195-pound back gained 10 yards or more.
The game was a nail-biter, as Niles pounded toward Rayen's goal line in a determined, last-minute drive. The deal wasn't sealed until Rayen senior Ryan Wallace pulled down an interception at the Tigers' 7-yard line with less than half a minute remaining.
Thornton gained 48 yard on 10 carries in the first half. But Rayen coach Brian Shaner said his offensive linemen promised at halftime they would open more holes for Thornton in the second half.
"During halftime, our line told me to give him [Thornton] the ball and they'd make it work," Shaner said, "and they came out for the second half ready to play."
After receiving the second-half kickoff, Rayen took the lead with an eight-play, 68-yard drive capped by Thornton's 3-yard dive into the end zone. Jeff Purdie's extra point attempt failed and Rayen hung onto a 13-7 lead. The game continued to see-saw, as Niles took a 14-13 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run by senior running back Bryan Butto.
The scoring ended when Rayen (2-2) took a 19-14 lead on quarterback Sal Battle's 16-yard touchdown run.
Early lead
In the game's opening minutes, momentum seemed to swing in Niles' direction. After receiving the game's opening kickoff, the Red Dragons (2-2) scored on an eight-play, 60-yard drive capped by Nate Ganyard's 12-yard run. Wallace returned the Niles kickoff 84 yards to the Red Dragons' 6-yard line, but a determined effort by Niles kept the Tigers out of the end zone.
"They had us reeling," Shaner said.
But after that initial drive, the Tigers adjusted and kept the Red Dragons out of the end zone for the remainder of the first half.
Niles defensive back Mario Baugh ended another Rayen drive when he intercepted a Battles pass at the 2-yard line, and Red Dragons defender Sean Cleary ended yet another Rayen drive when he intercepted another Battles pass just before halftime.
However, Thornton evened the score in the second quarter when he scored a touchdown on a 5-yard run.
Leaders
Senior running back Dwayne Smith also contributed to Rayen's offense, gaining 59 yards on eight carries. Battles gained 32 yards on seven carries, but completed only 1-of-6 passes.
Niles' offense was lead by senior running back Tyler Taylor, who gained 82 yards on 20 carries. Butto carried the ball 13 times for 51 yards and sophomore running back Nate Ganyard gained 49 yards in 12 carries. Senior quarterback Joe Razzano completed his first four passes, all to junior wide receiver Vince Caicco, for 68 yards. However, his fifth pass fell incomplete in the end zone with about a minute on the clock, and his sixth and final pass was intercepted by Wallace in the game's final seconds, sealing Rayen's victory.
Niles coach Phil Annarella praised Thornton's performance.
"We had a hard time tackling him," Annarella said. "A lot of times we had him at the line of scrimmage and couldn't bring him down."