By: Adam Freeman
The undefeated Tucker Valley Wildcats faced their biggest test to date last week at home against the Webster County Highlanders. Tucker trailed for the first time this season as Webster connected on a 24-yard pass to start the game with an 8-0 lead.
It took the Wildcats a few possessions to get their offense rolling, as they failed to score in the first quarter. Tucker got a spark when Titus Bowley broke free off the left side behind Walker Freeman and Brantlee “Bull” Rosier for a 51-yard touchdown run. Bowley then completed the two-point attempt on a pass to Rylan Sexton, knotting the game at 8 apiece.
Tucker’s defense then came up big with back-to-back turnovers: Blake Holland intercepted a Highlanders pass, and Walker Freeman forced a fumble. The Wildcats capitalized on the fumble as Bowley again found Sexton, this time on a 15-yard touchdown pass. Fletcher Hyre powered in the two-point conversion, giving Tucker a 16-8 lead at halftime.
Neither team found the end zone in the third quarter, setting up a thrilling fourth-quarter finish. Hyre picked off a pass to start the final quarter, and Bowley scampered in for a 26-yard touchdown run, extending Tucker’s lead to 22-8.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Webster answered with a 46-yard touchdown pass, bringing the score to 22-14. The Wildcats responded quickly, with Bowley throwing his second touchdown pass of the game, a 37-yard catch and run to speedy seventh grader Fletcher Hyre, pushing Tucker’s lead back to two scores at 28-14.
Webster put together a drive and got inside the Wildcats’ red zone, but seventh-grade linebacker Braylon Simmons tipped a Highlander pass that landed in Bowley’s hands for a touchback. One play later, Bowley went 80 yards for a touchdown, increasing Tucker’s lead to 34-14 late in the fourth quarter.
The Highlanders wouldn’t go away quietly, connecting on another long touchdown pass of 30 yards to make the final score 34-20 in favor of the home-standing Wildcats.
Bowley finished the night with 202 yards rushing and three touchdowns, as well as 107 yards passing and two more touchdowns. Rylan Sexton tallied 70 yards receiving and a touchdown, while Fletcher Hyre hauled in a 37-yard receiving touchdown.
The Wildcats remain undefeated at 4-0 and will hit the road next week as they travel to Clay-Batelle to take on the Cee Bees on Thursday, October 2nd, at 6 p.m.