LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
CAYUGA, Ind. – The Paris Tigers opened the 2024 football season with a short trip across the state line to face the North Vermillion Falcons.
As was the case last season, Mother Nature played a role in the game. Last year, the game-time temperature was in the mid-90s, forcing frequent breaks throughout the contest. The Tigers were victorious in that contest, winning 21-14. This year, the skies opened up over Vermillion County, and elsewhere, with 15 seconds remaining in the first quarter. After waiting nearly 90 minutes for the lightning to subside, game officials decided to postpone the game until noon on Saturday, Aug. 31. Paris trailed 14-7 when the game was delayed.
The delay proved to be a difference maker in the contest, as the Tigers never really threatened the remainder of the game, falling 42-13.
Things looked good for the Tigers early on as they held the Falcons on the opening drive of the game, forcing a punt. Unfortunately, the Tigers fumbled the punt, leaving the Falcons with a short field and a golden opportunity to grab an early lead. Taking just two plays to cover 21 yards, North Vermillion senior quarterback Matthew Dawson scampered in from four yards out to make the score 7-0 with 7:55 left in the first quarter.
Paris began the ensuing drive from their own 45-yard line. A pair of bruising runs from senior tailback Mason Byrnes moved the chains into Falcon territory. From there, a series of penalties pushed the ball all the way back to the Tiger 25-yard line. The Tigers were forced to punt and the next drive for North Vermillion began at their own 40-yard line. On the second play of that drive, Dawson called his own number, scampering up the Paris sideline to the Tiger 15-yard line. Three plays later, Dawson found paydirt once again to make the score 14-0 with 3:59 remaining in the first period.
The Tigers quickly answered, needing just two plays to find the end zone as Byrnes ripped off a 52-yard run to cut the lead to 14-6. Carter Crippes added the extra point to make it 14-7 with 3:27 remaining. North Vermillion benefitted from a pair of personal foul penalties against the Tigers to move the ball to the Paris 34-yard line when the lightning delay occurred.
When action resumed on Saturday afternoon, one team was ready to play while the other seemed unable to generate the intensity from the night before. North Vermillion continued their drive from Friday, capping it off with a 5-yard pass from Dawson to Ian Griffin. The Falcons whiffed the extra point, making the score 20-7.
Paris worked their way through a pair of holding penalties and a fourth down conversion to move the ball to the Falcons’ 21-yard line, but an interception ended the scoring threat that could have cut the lead to one score. Both defenses stiffened over the final eight minutes of the quarter and the score remained 20-7.
North Vermillion scored on their next four possessions to put the game out of reach and invoke the running clock for much of the fourth quarter. Paris’ second touchdown came with 5:07 left as Drew Rogers found Karic Vitale for a 26-yard touchdown.
Byrnes had a nice day on the ground for the Tigers, gaining 114 yards on 11 carries, including a 52-yard touchdown. Rogers carried the ball eight times for -13 yards but had a pair of 20+ yard runs called back due to penalties. Madox Hutchings added three carries for four negative yards. Rogers completed 14 of 25 passes for 178 yards, a touchdown and a pair of interceptions.
The Tiger defense only surrendered 255 yards of total offense to the Falcons, but the home team worked with a short field for most of the contest. Paris was guilty of 10 penalties for 135 yards and three turnovers.
Paris will hit the road once more for their final non-conference game of the year when they face the Charleston Trojans on Friday, Sept. 6.