Dream Season Turns Into Nightmare For Tigers

The Wills Point Tigers fans were treated to a double feature horror movie on Friday in Greenville – Friday The 13th, and Nightmare On Turnover Street.

Seven turnovers - four fumbles and three interceptions - led directly to 38 points for the Lucas Lovejoy Leopards, as they defeated Wills Point 52-36.

Three of the turnovers resulted in defensive touchdowns  for the Leopards, as they built a 45-14 halftime lead, and then a 52-14 lead in the fourth.

Wills Point scored three touchdowns in the final five minutes of the game to put a little respectability onto the scoreboard.

It looked as if the nightmare would by Lovejoy’s at the beginning of the game, when the first snap of the game sailed over quarterback Michael Means’ head. Will Girdley picked the rolling ball up at the goal line, and Wills Point led 7-0 seconds into the game.

Lovejoy woke up quickly, though, scoring on the second play after the kickoff. Means hit Hayden Marsh down the sideline for a 79-yard touchdown. The point after was missed, leaving Wills Point in the lead for a few more plays.

On the Tigers first offensive play after the kickoff, the snap bounced off of Trent Jurica’s shin and into the hands of the Lovejoy defense at the 21-yard line. Five plays later the Leopards took the lead on a 10-yard run by Blake Martin. Means ran in the two-point conversion, and the score was 14-7 at the 8:34 mark.

The Tigers put together a nice drive after the kickoff, but ran out of downs at the Leopard 29. Means only needed one play, going 79 yards on a quarterback sweep, pushing the lead to 21-7 with 4:54 still to go in the first.

That’s when things started going badly for the Tigers, and the monster just wouldn’t die. On second down after the kickoff, Jurica flipped a lateral pass to Brandon Morris that fell to the ground, and the alert Lovejoy defense picked it up and returned it for a touchdown. The point after gave the Leopards a 28-7 lead after one quarter.

The Tigers stayed alive with a score in the second quarter. Brett Bradshaw returned a punt 37 yards to set the Tigers up at midfield. Six play later, J.K. Wilson scored from four yards away to cut the lead to 28-14.

It seemed momentum would stay with the Tigers when Steven Cunigan picked off a pass, and a personal foul penalty was added on to it. On first down, though, a Jurica scramble ended with the ball being ripped out of his hand as he fell to the ground. It was caught in midair and returned 42 yards for another touchdown. The kick made the score 35-14.

Two possessions later, starting at the 14-yard line, Lovejoy defensive tackle Drew Carson stepped in front of a screen pass and ran it in from 10 yards out. The kick after made it 42-14.

Going deep on the next possession, Jurica’s pass to Cunigan was high and tipped to Lovejoy’s Byron Butler, setting the Leopards up at the Tiger 43 with 1:00 left in the half. That was enough time to set up Eddie Puscarich for a 46-yard field goal that went through, and Lovejoy led 45-14 at the half.

Wills Point took the second half kickoff, but there was a bad sequel playing after intermission. On the second play of the half, Puscarich stepped in front of a pass intended for Cunigan and returned it 30 yards to the eight-yard line. Four plays later Means ran in from the one, and Lovejoy had its’ 52 points.

In the fourth quarter, the Tiger offense scored on an 11-yard run by Jurica, a 70-yard reception by Marquis Burch, and a 23-yard reception by Cunigan.

The Tiger offense out gained Lovejoy (394-305), and had 20 first downs to 13 for the Leopards. Burch picked up 150 yards on six receptions, and Morris rushed for 109 yards. The defense gave up the two long touchdowns in the first quarter, but after that held Lovejoy to 155 total yards.

That doesn’t include the yardage gained by the Leopard defense.

The Tigers finish the season with a 9-2 record and a district championship. Lovejoy will advance to meet Liberty-Eyleau.