Late Tuesday: Wolverines fall 40-38 to Hibriten
by Steve Behr Sports Editor
The Watauga Wolverines lost a shootout with Hibriten 40-38 in
middle school football Tuesday night at Jack Groce Stadium.
Hibriten took a 40-26 lead on a 59-yard touchdown run by Dylan Moore with 6:57 left in the game, but Watauga rallied to score two touchdowns to pull to within two points. Watauga quarterback Hamilton Castle capped a 70-play, four-play drive with a 6-yard touchdown run that closed Hibriten’s lead to 40-32.
Castle started the drive with a 17-yard run, and was aided by a 15-yard personal foul penalty by the Panthers. Evan Suggs ran for 19 yards, and Castle completed a receiver screen pass to Corey West for 13 yards that left the Pioneers at the Hibriten 6-yard line.
Castle scored on the next play.
Watauga’s defense held Hibriten on the Panthers’ next drive, and the Wolverines took over at their own 31-yard line with 2:35 left in the game. Joey Watson broke off a 49-yard run on a fourth-and-three from the 38-yard line to give the Wolverines a first down at the Hibriten 13-yard line with less than a minute left to play in the game.
Suggs moved it four yards closer before Watson capped the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run with 41.5 seconds left in the game to pull Watauga to 40-38.
The Wolverines could not tie the game on their two-point conversion try. Watson was stopped short of the goal line, and the Panthers ran out the clock after recovering Watauga’s pooch kick.
Watson had a big day by gaining 141 yards rushing on 11 carries. Evan Suggs added 89 yards, including a 51-yarder that set up a Castle 3-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Suggs also had a 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that put the Wolverines in front 20-18.
Castle completed a 22-yard touchdown pass to West on the Wolverines’ opening drive. Hibriten answered with a 22-yard TD run by Trey Brown, but the Wolverines came back with a 10-yard Castle touchdown run that capped a 66-yard, seven play drive that started in the first quarter and ended in the second.
It gave Watauga a 14-6 lead after West hit Justin Hollars with a pass on the ensuing two-point conversion. Hibriten wasted little time with its answer, a 73-yard touchdown run by Cory Williams on the game’s next play. Another Hibriten touchdown, a 16-yard Beyers Carney run, put the Panthers in front 18-14 at halftime.
Brown also scored on a 54-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that put the Panthers in front 32-20. Castle scored his 3-yard TD on the Pioneers’ next series.
Watauga also had a scarry moment when receiver Jonah Hodges went down with a broken leg after blocking on a play. Play was delayed while he was taken off the field on a stretcher.
The Wolverines host Gamewell on Oct. 10.
Hibriten took a 40-26 lead on a 59-yard touchdown run by Dylan Moore with 6:57 left in the game, but Watauga rallied to score two touchdowns to pull to within two points. Watauga quarterback Hamilton Castle capped a 70-play, four-play drive with a 6-yard touchdown run that closed Hibriten’s lead to 40-32.
Castle started the drive with a 17-yard run, and was aided by a 15-yard personal foul penalty by the Panthers. Evan Suggs ran for 19 yards, and Castle completed a receiver screen pass to Corey West for 13 yards that left the Pioneers at the Hibriten 6-yard line.
Castle scored on the next play.
Watauga’s defense held Hibriten on the Panthers’ next drive, and the Wolverines took over at their own 31-yard line with 2:35 left in the game. Joey Watson broke off a 49-yard run on a fourth-and-three from the 38-yard line to give the Wolverines a first down at the Hibriten 13-yard line with less than a minute left to play in the game.
Suggs moved it four yards closer before Watson capped the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run with 41.5 seconds left in the game to pull Watauga to 40-38.
The Wolverines could not tie the game on their two-point conversion try. Watson was stopped short of the goal line, and the Panthers ran out the clock after recovering Watauga’s pooch kick.
Watson had a big day by gaining 141 yards rushing on 11 carries. Evan Suggs added 89 yards, including a 51-yarder that set up a Castle 3-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Suggs also had a 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that put the Wolverines in front 20-18.
Castle completed a 22-yard touchdown pass to West on the Wolverines’ opening drive. Hibriten answered with a 22-yard TD run by Trey Brown, but the Wolverines came back with a 10-yard Castle touchdown run that capped a 66-yard, seven play drive that started in the first quarter and ended in the second.
It gave Watauga a 14-6 lead after West hit Justin Hollars with a pass on the ensuing two-point conversion. Hibriten wasted little time with its answer, a 73-yard touchdown run by Cory Williams on the game’s next play. Another Hibriten touchdown, a 16-yard Beyers Carney run, put the Panthers in front 18-14 at halftime.
Brown also scored on a 54-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that put the Panthers in front 32-20. Castle scored his 3-yard TD on the Pioneers’ next series.
Watauga also had a scarry moment when receiver Jonah Hodges went down with a broken leg after blocking on a play. Play was delayed while he was taken off the field on a stretcher.
The Wolverines host Gamewell on Oct. 10.