Anna’s Zach Osborn breaks through the Tippecanoe line for a touchdown during a scrimmage on Friday in Tipp City.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
TIPP CITY — The Anna Rockets fell 31-12 to Tippecanoe on Friday during scrimmage at Tipp City Park Stadium.
The Rockets started strong with multiple lengthy rushes from running back Zach Osborn that culminated in a short touchdown for an early 6-0 lead after a failed PAT.
“I thought Osborn ran the ball well,” Anna head coach Nick Marino said. “We need to be a little bit more productive in the passing game.”
After a quick stop on defense for Anna, quarterback Alex Shappie mishandled a snap, giving Tippecanoe the ball with 3:50 to play in the first.
Tippecanoe quickly capitalized on the turnover, taking the lead 7-6 with 2:48 still on the clock.
After failing to get a first down early in the second quarter, the Rockets were forced to punt. Tippecanoe got a great jump on the snap, blocked the punt and took it back for a touchdown giving Anna a 14-6 deficit early in the second.
“We’ve got to be a little sharper with the offensive line,” Marino said. “I’d like to see a little more movement on our blocks, especially as the game went on.”
The Rockets defense showed signs of dominance in Tippecanoe’s next drive, stifling a goal line stand and forcing a turnover on downs with 5:56 left in the second.
Anna was able to march down the field, helped in part by a long scramble by Shappie. The Rockets cut the lead to two with a touchdown with 46 seconds left in quarter two.
Tippecanoe tipped the scales back in its favor with a long field goal that gave it a five-point lead before the third and final quarter.
Anna’s offensive line was showing signs of fatigue in the third quarter, forcing Shappie to scramble frequently to attempt to move the chains.
Tippecanoe was able to add 14 more points to their score in the third with no response from the Rockets for a final of 31-12.
“Them having a lot of one-way players wore on us as the scrimmage went on,” Marino said. “Especially as we get ready for some good teams early in the season.”
Anna will be back in action on Friday, when they will travel to Indian Lake for a season opener. They will face Brookville in their home opener on Aug. 30.
