ASHLAND — The Game for the Ages — at least among the Ashland Tomcat faithful — lived up to the hype.

In a fantasy battle befitting of two great state champions, it took a last-minute score to decide it as the 1990 Tomcats defeated the 1975 Tomcats, 30-25, in Putnam Stadium Thursday night.

Chris Hutt scored his second touchdown on a 5-yard run with 1:14 remaining to lift the 1990 team to victory in a fantasy collision that would have been worth the price of admission.

The storybook game had a storybook finish that would have had the most diehard of Ashland fan biting his nails.

Hutt’s game-winning TD capped a 60-yard drive after the 1975 Tomcats had gone ahead 25-24 with 3:57 remaining on a stunning 57-yard touchdown pass from Chuck Anderson to Rick Sang. Sang caught the ball at the 36 and did the rest himself, shedding tacklers all the way to the end zone to put ’75 in front for the first time.

However, a special team’s breakdown put 1990 in good field position for the game-winning drive. Hutt’s 21-yard return on the ensuing short kickoff put the 1990 team on the 40. They methodically marched down the field without a pass. Bulldozing fullback Charlie Johnson converted a key third-down run against the vaunted JAWS defense.

Hutt eventually scored on an inside counter after a fake to Thomas. The 1975 Tomcats expected Thomas and Hutt went in untouched following a nice block by Jimmy Bentine.

There were no turnovers in the game, but plenty of explosiveness from both wishbone offenses.

Juan Thomas rushed for 182 yards and two touchdowns, including a pair of TDs in the first quarter that staked 1990 to a 14-0 lead.

Ashland 1975 didn’t back down though, rallying to within 17-12 at the half.

The game’s turning point may have come on the first possession of the second half when 1975 was faced with a fourth-and-inches at its own 32 and went for it. It seemed like a safe gamble after averaging 6.1 yards per carry during the season. Hard-running fullback Jay Shippey piled into the middle but was stopped for no gain by the 911 defense. The 1990s capitalized on the momentum swing, turning the good field position into a touchdown for a 24-12 lead.

The 1975 Tomcats went back to work though and, behind some dazzling passes from Anderson to Sang, made things interesting. Sang finished with 132 yards on four receptions.

The 911 defense held the 1975 wishbone attack to 181 yards and a 4.2 per carry average. But Anderson threw for 142 yards, with Sang on the other end of all but one reception.

Speedy Gary Thomas, who scored on a 60-yard punt return in the first half thanks to a nifty block from Dougie Paige, darted 20 yards on a third-and-17 in a drive that eventually pulled 1975 to within 24-19 late in the third quarter. Gary Thomas led 1975 with 94 yards rushing.

The 1990 Tomcats gained 383 yards, all on the ground, while the 1975 Tomcats were more balanced in gaining 323. The ’90 Tomcats had three long runs totaling 176 yards and otherwise was held to 3.8 yards per carry.

However, long jaunts from Juan Thomas and Johnson were devastating. Thomas went 70 yards for a touchdown on the first carry of 1990’s second possession. Much of the credit should go to quarterback David Brown, who ran the option to perfection on the play. Brown peeled off 25 yards before releasing a perfectly timed pitch to Thomas who covered the rest of the ground. A beautiful downfield block from Hutt cut down Greg Jackson, the last possible tackler on the play for 1975.

JAWS didn’t disappoint. Shippey had 16 tackles from his middle linebacker position and defensive end Yancey Ramey sacked Brown on 1990’s only pass attempt in the game. Anderson had eight tackles and four assists and Jackson also finished with eight tackles.

Linebacker Stuart Hackworth collected a dozen tackles, tackle Jim Bentine seven and cornerback Dwight Walter six for 1990.

Note: The fantasy game between Ashland’s 1990 and 1975 teams is based on statistics alone, using a dice-driven board game developed by Michigan native  Steve Clark.

1975 ASHLAND   0      12      7          6            -            25

1990 ASHLAND  14       3      7          6            -            30

First Quarter

1990 - Juan Thomas 70 run (Clayton Hill kick), 6:29

1990 – J.Thomas 2 run (Hill kick), 1:02

Second Quarter

1975 – Gary Thomas 60 punt return (kick failed), 9:09

1990 – Hill 20 field goal, 3:53

1975 – Jay Shippey 5 run (pass failed), 1:08

Third Quarter

1990 – Chris Hutt 3 run (Hill kick), 7:09

1975 – G.Thomas 11 run (Kevin Ward kick), 1:11

Fourth Quarter

1975 – Rick Sang 57 pass from Chuck Anderson (run failed), 3:43

1990 – Hutt 5 run (run failed), 1:14

                                     1975            1990

First downs                      15                 14

Rushes-yards            43-181        58-386

Passes                       5-13-0            0-0-0

Yards passing                 142                 0

Fumbles-lost                      1-0            2-0

Punts-average            3-39.3            4-32.8

Return yards                      60                  7

Penalties-yards            4-30              3-13

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

1975 Ashland rushing: Gary Thomas 17-94, Jeff Slone 12-46, Chuck Anderson 6-16, Greg Jackson 2-11, Jay Shippey 5-11, Jim Johnson 1-3.

1990 Ashland rushing: Juan Thomas 19-182, Charlie Johnson 18-134, Chris Hutt 17-63, David Brown 4-7.

1975 Ashland passing: Anderson 5 of 13 for 142 yards.

1990 Ashland passing: None.

1975 Ashland receiving: Rick Sang 4-132, Johnson 1-10.

1990 Ashland receiving: None.