By GARRETT WELLBROCK
Hays Post Sports
OSBORNE — Sophomore quarterback Tate Foreman accounted for four total touchdowns — three through the air and one on defense — as Thunder Ridge closed the regular season with a 42-20 road win over Osborne on Friday night.
The win pushes Thunder Ridge to 4-4 overall, while Osborne falls to 3-5 heading into next week’s playoff openers.
Thunder Ridge opened the night with a 9-play, 61-yard drive capped by a 31-yard touchdown pass from Foreman to Rashad Stafford for a 6-0 lead midway through the first quarter. The Longhorns dominated possession early, running 19 plays to Osborne’s six in the opening period, but led by just six after one.
Osborne finally broke through in the second quarter when freshman quarterback Tate Tiernan connected with Ethan Conrad on a 45-yard strike to give the Bulldogs an 8-6 lead with 5:05 left in the half. But Thunder Ridge answered immediately. Foreman hit Connor Engelke from 15 yards out to reclaim the lead, then after another Osborne score, Stafford ripped off a 42-yard touchdown run to put the Longhorns up 20-14 at halftime.
The third quarter swung completely in Thunder Ridge’s favor. After Tiernan was intercepted in the end zone by senior Evan Slavik, the Bulldogs’ next two drives also ended in turnovers — a 39-yard pick-six by Foreman and a fumble on the very next play, which led to an 11-yard touchdown pass from Foreman to Slavik. In a span of less than two minutes, Thunder Ridge turned a six-point lead into a 22-point cushion.
Osborne’s offense, which failed to convert a third down all night (0-for-9), pieced together a 14-play drive that spanned into the fourth quarter but came up empty on downs. The Longhorns capitalized again, as Stafford punched in his second rushing score from two yards out to make it 42-14. Tiernan added a 50-yard touchdown run late to cap the scoring.
Foreman led the way for Thunder Ridge, completing 9 of 15 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns, adding 74 yards rushing, and returning an interception for a score. Stafford carried 19 times for 118 yards and two touchdowns, plus a receiving TD, while Slavik caught four passes for 47 yards and an interception on defense.
Tiernan paced Osborne with 128 yards passing and 143 rushing, including a late touchdown, but also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. Donovan Holloway caught eight passes for 70 yards, while Koltyn Graf added a short rushing score.
Thunder Ridge finished with 335 total yards and went 3-for-3 in the red zone, while Osborne totaled 289 yards but failed to finish key drives, going 1-for-3 inside the red zone.
The Longhorns will open the playoffs at home against Frankfort, while the Bulldogs draw a tough road matchup with unbeaten Hanover next week.