By: Adam Freeman
On Halloween night in Parsons, WV, the home-standing Tucker County Mt. Lions looked to end their two-game losing skid as they played host to longtime rival, the Petersburg Vikings.
The first half was a defensive slugfest, as neither team managed to put points on the board despite both mounting several drives. Tucker had a long touchdown called back on a holding penalty, which was the first of multiple flags against the Mt. Lions.
Petersburg broke the scoreless tie in the third quarter with a 32-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead. The Vikings struck again later in the quarter with a 12-yard touchdown run to extend their advantage to 10-0 heading into the fourth.
Tucker appeared to answer, only to have another long touchdown play erased by a penalty. Petersburg capitalized on the Mt. Lions’ misfortune with a 70-yard touchdown reception. The Vikings would add another score before the final whistle to seal a 23-0 shutout victory.
The Mt. Lions were haunted by penalties, some questionable, others not, as they were flagged 10 times for 118 yards. Offensively, Tucker managed just 124 passing yards and 31 rushing yards. Turnovers also proved costly, as the Mt. Lions lost two fumbles and threw one interception.
Tucker quarterback Sam Marks finished 10-of-28 for 124 yards. Luke Barb led the ground game with 29 rushing yards, while receiver Cayden Arnold recorded 55 receiving yards.
With the loss, Tucker’s record falls to 5-4. The Mt. Lions will stay home next week for their final regular season game and Senior Night matchup against Hampshire County High School. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m.
