Rams earn piece of LCAA
BY SHAWN VARGO GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE

BATH - Bath Haverling provided its Homecoming fans with quite a show as it overpowered Wayland-Cohocton 47-0 Saturday afternoon, Oct. 4.

• The Rams' defense posted its first shutout of the season.

• The Bath offense scored touch downs on each of its five first-half possessions.

• Quarterback Jake Kuver went 7-of-8 passing the ball. He threw for two TDs and ran for another.

• Andrew Nesbitt closed the scoring with a 96-yard run on a 3rd-and-9 play in the fourth quarter.

• The Rams cheerleaders celebrated the offense's success by doing 188 pushups.

Finally, the win - along with Hornell's 26-21 loss to Honeoye Falls-Lima on Friday - gives Bath a piece of the LCAA Div. I title, even before traveling to Hornell this week.

"It's been a long time since we could say that we got a piece of anything - it goes back to 2003," Bath head coach Wayne Carroll said. "I'm very proud of that, because our league is a great league. Hornell is always good, along with Livonia and HF-L."

Bath wasted little time showing its versatility on offense with its first possession. The Rams covered 37 yards on seven plays - five running and two passing. Andre McCloud crossed the goal line following a 14-yard run

McCloud, who was looking to eclipse Mark Robinson's career rushing record at Bath with a big day, took a screen pass 68 yards for a score on the Rams' next possession. Mc- Cloud gained 65 yards on seven carries in the first half and caught two passes for 79 yards.

Next, Kuver led Bath on a 70-yard drive to open the second quarter. Kuver hit Mc- Cloud and Brett Partridge with passes, then covered the final five yards himself.

"As everyone around here knows, Bath's really not all about the throwing," Kuver said. "It's nice to have the chance to throw - especially when the receivers step up and make a couple really good catches.

"We really practiced a lot more passing this week. We knew we needed to be more of a two-way team, with the passing and the running. We wanted to make a statement and let everybody know we can do both."

"Jake Kuver can throw the ball," Carroll said. "He did a nice job - he stepped up and played great today."

Cody Hutcheson carried the ball three times on Bath's next possession for 41 yards, including the 2-yard TD that pushed the score to 34-0 with 3:38 remaining in the first half. Nick Carroll closed the scoring in the half by intercepting a Ryan Gibbs pass and returning it 50 yards for a his second defensive touch down of the season. Matt Whedbee also had an interception for the Rams.

"It was a big thing for the team - we wanted to get the shutout," Nick Carroll said. "It's the first one of the season and it feels good."

With the score 41-0 at the half, Wayne Carroll intended to let McCloud run into the record books in the second half, but McCloud was injured on his first carry and left the game for good after gaining 74 yards on the day.

Bath finished its scoring with 7:38 left in the fourth quarter when Nesbitt bounced off the left tackle, broke into daylight down the left sideline and outraced four Golden Eagles defenders for a 96-yard touch down.

In posting the shutout, Bath allowed 26 yards of rushing and 86 yards through the air. T.C. Carroll led the squad in tackles with 14, followed by Nick Carroll with 10. Sam Musso chipped in with eight stops, while Jake Hann recorded a sack.

"Shutouts to us are a philosophy," Wayne Carroll said. "Our philosophy on offense is - if you score 40, we're going to score 41. Our philosophy on defense is, if we shut you out - we can't lose. The kids strive for shutouts. It's a sense of pride."

"The championship goes through Hornell," Wayne Carroll said. "Even though I have not won over there as a head coach over here, the kids can win it if they want it enough."