Elder runs wild against Raiders

Friday, January 1, 1904

By Mike Organ, The Tennessean

NASHVILLE - Perhaps the only disappointment in Corn Elder's high school career at Ensworth was his inability to play well against Baylor.

He injured his ankle against the Red Raiders in last year's Division II-AA state championship game.

He said he simply didn't perform well in a regular-season game last season against the Red Raiders or in the 2010 state final.

Elder made up for it Friday night.

He rushed for 296 yards and scored four touchdowns to lead Ensworth to a 42-17 rout.

"This is one team I have never played well against," Elder said. "I really wanted to come out here and change that tonight. My teammates knew how much it meant to me to have a good game against them, and they really helped me out a lot. The line blocked well and the defense played well."

It was the fourth game this season in which Elder has scored four TDs. He has 988 rushing yards and 18 TDs this season.

After Baylor (3-2) took a 7-0 first-quarter lead on a 7-yard run by George Porter, Ensworth (5-0) scored on its first four possessions to move in front 28-7 by halftime.

Elder scored in every quarter. He ran for a 37-yarder in the first quarter, a 7-yarder in the second, a 2-yarder in the third and then after injuring his knee broke loose for a 96-yarder in the fourth.

"He's the best back I've seen, and I've been doing this 28 years," Baylor coach Phil Massey said. "It's just because of what he can do on the second level, once he gets past the first level. Ensworth is so good up front they're going to take care of that first level. But once he gets to the second level, he is so good at extending the play and making people miss."

Massey said he had hoped Baylor's 3-4 defense would give more defenders a shot at Elder, but he simply darted past them on several plays.

Ensworth finished with 474 total offensive yards to Baylor's 232.

The Red Raiders alternated junior Michael O'Connor and sophomore Nick Tiano at quarterback, and the duo accounted for most of their team's yards late in the game.

O'Connor completed 14 of 26 passes for 176 yards and had two interceptions. Tiano was 5-of-9 for 32 yards and one interception.