Tigers Open District With Big Win

On a field fit for mud wrestling, the Wills Point Tigers and Canton Eagles wrestled for a district-opening win in Wills Point on Friday night. Both offenses were as explosive as billed, but in the end, the Eagles worst fears were confirmed, as Wills Point junior running back Brandon Morris scored four touchdowns in a 28-18 Tiger victory.

Despite the conditions, the teams combined for 642 yards of offense (Canton 317, Wills Point 325). Both teams had 14 first downs.

The win gives Wills Point (5-1) a 1-0 start in District 14-3A, and Canton (4-2) will have to fight back from 0-1 when they host the Eustace Bulldogs 2-4, 1-0) next Friday. Wills Point will be in Kemp.

Canton dominated the time of possession in the first half, running 51 plays, and 27 of those on the Wills Point side of the field. A crucial penalty and a turnover, however, helped hold the Eagles to 10 points.

Meanwhile, the Tiger offense had the ball for 17 plays, but twice scored on two-play drives, with Morris (20 carries, 126 yards) going in from 55 and 31 yards.

On the opening possession of the game, with the Eagles facing a third-and-ten from their own 47, quarterback Chance Wallace fumbled, but teammate Jacob Harris picked up the ball, only to reverse the field and lose 10 yards. A facemask penalty was called on the Tiger defense, though, and instead of fourth-and-20, the Eagles were awarded a first-and-ten on the Tiger 34. The Tiger defense held on the next three plays, though, and Wallace’s punt was downed on the six.

Wills Point was three-and-out and Evann Padilla lined up to punt underneath the goal post. The punt carried to near midfield, but the Canton return carried to the Tiger 22.

After Wallace picked up a rushing first down, another fumble put the Eagles in a third-and-18 hole at the Tiger 19. A screen pass to Harris picked up seven yards on third down, so the Eagles went to it again on fourth down. This time Harris scored from 12 yards out, but a block in the back cancelled the score. The fourth-and-23 pass fell incomplete.

It took Wills Point two plays to score. On first down, Trent Jurica (10 of 17, 186 yards) passed to Marquis Burch for 22 yards, then on first-and-ten from the 45, Morris went straight up the middle and untouched for 55 yards and a touchdown. The kicked failed, but the Tigers led 6-0 with 3:18 left in the first.

On the next Eagle possession, Canton gambled on a fourth down at their own 30, but Wallace converted on a quarterback sneak. Three plays later, though, the Eagles were forced to punt and the Tigers got a hand on the kick for a two-yard net gain, and the ball at the 31.

This time it was an incomplete pass on first down before Morris scored from 31 yards out, this time breaking tackles along the way. Jurica passed to Stephen Cunigan for the two-point conversion, and with :12 left in the quarter, Wills Point led 14-0.

Jonathan Huddle’s kickoff return gave Canton good field position at the 40, and Termin gained five on a run, and 20 on a pass reception to the Tiger 35. Harris picked up 20 yards on a pass reception and two carries. After an incompletion on second-and-10 from the 19, Wallace (26 of 51, 262 yards one TD) found Nathan Morris over the middle for a 15-yard gain, but the ball was stripped and recovered by Wills Point at the two.

The Tigers could not move past the five, and the fourth down punt was returned to the 24. Seven plays later, an interference call on fourth-and-10 from the 10 gave the Eagles a first-and-goal at the two. It took four plays, but Canton converted another fourth down, this time on a quarterback sneak by Wallace. Huddle converted the kick, and with 5:03 left in the half, the score was 14-7.

The next Tiger possession resulted in another punt, and with less than two minutes left, Canton took over on their own 37. Denbow quickly flipped the field, gaining 39 on a second down catch and run. He later converted a second and seven with an eight-yard catch, and the Eagles had first-and-ten at the 20 with :31 left. Four plays later, though, Huddle was sent in for a 33-yard field goal. The kick was good, and Canton closed the gap to 14-10 at the half.

Wills Point put together its best drive of the night on the first possession of the second half, moving 73 yards in 12 plays. Jurica was 3-for-3 passing for 47 yards, with gains of 20 to Cunigan (5 receptions 82 yards) 23 to Burch and four to Will Girdley. Morris carried the ball six times for 22 yards including the seven-yard touchdown. The Padilla kick made the score 21-10 with 6:10 left in the third.

The Eagles answered back, beginning with a 55-yard punt return by Termin. From the Tiger 35-yard line, Wallace threw to Huddle for 19, and two plays later, hit Termin (11 receptions, 96 yards) for a 13-yard touchdown. Termin then added the two-point conversion to bring Canton within three at 21-18.

The Tigers put together another good drive, highlighted by a 32-yard reception by Cunigan who out-battled excellent coverage to come down with the ball. The play converted a third-and-22, and gave the Tigers a first down at the Canton 41. Two plays later, Jurica hit Junior Hamilton down the right sideline for a 22-yard gain to the Eagle 19.

Two plays later, and on the fist play of the fourth quarter, Canton’s Tanner Smith ended the threat with an interception at the five-yard line. The Eagles couldn’t move past the 27-yard line though, and a short punt gave Wills Point the ball at the Canton 35.

The Tigers would take advantage this time, moving the distance in five plays. The big play on the drive was a third-and- 14 conversion on a 33-yard catch-and-and run by Hamilton. The play gave the Tiger a first-and-goal at the seven, where Jurica carried for three, and Morris finished the last four. Padilla’s kick was good once again, and Wills Point led 28-18.

A Cyle Henderson interception and 40-yard return on the next Canton possession, set up a field goal try to put the game out of reach for Wills Point. Padilla’s kick from 36 yards was wide, however, and the Eagles took possession at the 19 with 3:26 left.

Wallace threw 15 passes in the last drive converting three third downs, including completions of 11, 20 and 5 to Termin, and 17 and 6 to Huddle. The drive reached the 15 with 1:12 left, but four straight incompletions would end the game.

"The drive to open the seond half was key," said head coach Kevin Garvin of the win. "Going into the game we wanted to sustain drives to take time off the clock and finish the drive with points, and we were able to do that to open the second half.

"The kids played hard, and the defense made plays when we needed them," he continued. "We stayed balanced on ofense which I thought was key. We need to get better on special teams. We gave up field position and we need to improve on that."