The Tucker County Mountain Lions stormed into Pocahontas County on Friday night and roared out with a commanding 40-7 victory to open their 2025 football season in dominant fashion.
It wasn’t the fastest start for the black and gold, as both teams shook off early-season rust in a scoreless first quarter. But it didn’t take long for the momentum to shift.
Tucker County broke onto the scoreboard early in the second quarter with a safety, after a high snap sailed over the Warriors’ quarterback and out of the end zone. Pocahontas briefly stole the lead moments later with a pick-six, putting the Warriors up 7-2, their only points of the night.
From there, it was all Tucker.
Junior quarterback Luke Barb found his rhythm and lit up the Pocahontas defense with a series of precision passes. He connected with Reid Kisamore for back-to-back touchdown strikes of 35 and 13 yards, then kept the momentum going with a 10-yard rushing score of his own. That flurry of points gave Tucker a 20-7 halftime lead, and they never looked back.
The second half was more of the same. Keelyn Eichelberger added to the onslaught with a 1-yard rushing touchdown, followed by an 11-yard touchdown reception from Barb. The finishing touch came in the fourth quarter when Barb and Kisamore connected once more, this time for an 18-yard score, sealing the win at 40-7.
Tucker’s defense was equally impressive, holding Pocahontas to just 32 total yards. Cayden Arnold snagged an interception for the Mountain Lions’ lone takeaway, while the defensive front consistently disrupted the line of scrimmage all night.
Barb finished the night 10-of-17 for 253 yards, 4 passing touchdowns, and 1 rushing score, showing poise and leadership in the pocket. His favorite target, Reid Kisamore, put on a show with 7 catches for 177 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Eichelberger added 66 receiving yards, a touchdown, and another on the ground. Cade Rapp led the rushing attack with 65 yards on 12 carries, helping control the clock and keeping the offense balanced.
With the win, Tucker improves to 1-0 on the season and will now turn their attention to their home opener on Friday, September 5th against the Tygarts Valley Bulldogs, who also enter the matchup 1-0. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. in Parsons, where the Mountain Lions will look to keep their early-season momentum rolling.
