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The Green Forest Tigers’ 21-13 victory at Huntsville on Friday, Nov. 1, wasn’t necessarily a thing of beauty. Instead, it was a gritty win for a team that had to have it in order to stay in contention for a bid to the state playoffs.
It’s probably appropriate, then, that Tigers coach Greg Tibbitt gave much of the credit to his team’s offensive line.
“They played extremely well,” Tibbitt said of the up-front crew that includes center Isiah Lopez, guards Silas Sparkman and Hsee Taw, tackles Luis Bathen and Aksel Ochoa and tight end Braden Epperly. “We rushed for 315 yards. We did a little bit of everything, but mostly running the football.”
Tibbitt singled out Lopez in particular.
“Isiah has had a really good year,” Tibbitt said. “He stepped into that position this year and he did a really good job Friday night along with the other four in there.”
With the line opening holes, senior running back Ridge Gordon- Swofford ran for 200 yards on 37 carries while senior Mason Meador ran for two touchdowns and passed for another.
Meador delivered a critical play for the Tigers early in the fourth quarter. With Green Forest leading 14-13 after a failed two-point try by the Eagles and facing fourth-and-5 from the Huntsville 8, Meador faked a handoff and then threw to Gabe Serna in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown. Jonathan Rivera’s extra point extended Green Forest’s lead to 21-13.
“That was an incredible throw,” Tibbitt said Monday. “I mean, it was a Mahomes-type throw. We were watching that on film today talking with the guys. He drops his arm down to throw around the guy with pressure and fits it in a small window. It was an incredible throw by Mason to get that one on fourth down.”
The Tigers held on despite falling behind 7-0 early, having one touchdown called back because of a penalty and being stopped twice on fourth down. Green Forest (3-6, 2-4 4A-1) can clinch a berth in the Class 4A state playoffs with a victory at Berryville and a Prairie Grove win over Lincoln on Friday, Nov. 8.
“We did the things we needed to,” Tibbitt said. “I felt like we were a lot better than them, honestly, but just kind of got off to a slow start. And they played really well. But we finished the game and took care of business. So hopefully we’re moving forward now.”
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