SANBORN — Kenauri Armstrong looked up at the clock and knew Niagara Falls needed an answer.
Along with quarterback Dylan Hinks, who threw for 191 yards and a touchdown starting in relief of starter Michael Taylor, Armstrong was the Wolverines’ solution to just about everything Niagara Wheatfield offered. And when the Falcons held a 13-12 lead late in the third quarter, Niagara Falls went to Armstrong again.
The senior capped a six-play, 39-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. The score sparked a flurry for the Wolverines as Jadyn Robinson intercepted a pass and Jeremiah Johnson scored on a 38-yard run to put up 14 points in 37 seconds.
Armstrong ran for 125 of his team’s 187 yards and two touchdowns on 15 attempts as Niagara Falls held on to beat Niagara Wheatfield 26-20 Thursday in non-league play. The win brought the Wolverines to 2-2, their best start since 2019.
“At first, we came out a little slow,” Armstrong said. “… I was counting on (the offensive line), so I talked to them, and they had to do what they do, and they made our momentum go. For the running backs, the wide receivers, it just helped us a lot. They are a big part of the team. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to get anything done.”
Falls defense turns up pressure
Niagara Falls not only attacked in the running game but it caused pressure defensively. For the majority of the game, the Wolverines still managed to cause pressure against Niagara Wheatfield quarterback Chase Richards.
With a three-man rush, the Wolverines continued to apply pressure, including causing turnovers on downs four times. The turnover on downs also happened on Niagara Wheatfield’s first two drives in the first quarter, with the opening drive ending close to midfield and turning into Armstrong’s first score.
With the pressure also came turnovers that went in the Wolverines’ favor. A big play came in the third quarter when Robinson’s interception on the right side of Richards set up the rushing score for James.
Out of halftime, the Wolverines switched its secondary adjustments to continue adjusting to the Falcons’ passing game.
“It just makes him think, makes him scared, makes him hesitate,” Robinson said. “Anything to mess up the timing and all that, it just helps get us the ball back so we could win the game.”
Falcons can’t get ground game going
Despite not being able to convert on its first two drives, with the second ending at Niagara Falls 39-yard line with 4:06 left in the second quarter, the Falcons did some success.
A Mason Meissner interception off Hinks in the second quarter turned into the first of three touchdown passes for Chase Richards, the first going to Cam Gruarin for the 7-6 lead.
The passing scores as Richards then found Meissner for a two-yard pass play for a 13-12 lead with 13 seconds left in the half and later found Garrett Chase for a 4-yard score with 10:30 left in regulation.
Richards went 12 of 27 for 183 yards and the three touchdowns, but the offense couldn’t finish on other drives. Niagara Wheatfield moved inside the Niagara Falls 40-yard line three times and came up empty.
After averaging 127.3 yards on the ground this season, the Falcons were held to 50 yards rushing, with 12 coming after halftime.
“I think the run game that hurts us when you’re in the red zone and you can’t run the ball tonight, that hurts you,” Niagara Wheatfield head coach Erik O’Bryan said. “It’s a little one-dimensional there. We just couldn’t get the ball run game going tonight, and then the field starts to shrink a little bit. Gotta be able to run the ball at times.”