Wildcats fall to Green Devils

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  • WF Flag and Team
    WF Flag and Team
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     Friday night lights are officially back in Menzie Bottoms. After a highly unusual offseason due to the Coronavirus pandemic, all teams’ preparation and workout routines were severely hindered. The Wildcat football team was surely affected by the tumultuous offseason as they looked worn down in the third quarter after a hard-fought first half against their pesky rivals, the Dayton Green Devils.
    Dayton won the game 39-8, led by a strong rushing performance from senior running back Jordan Marksberry. The Wildcats gave up a game high 310 rushing yards and failed to contain the Dayton rushing attack in the third quarter.
    The Wildcats actually struck first as senior running back Caleb Rogers scored a touchdown early on. He immediately tacked on a two-point conversion to put the Wildcats up 8-0. The Green Devils struck back with a rushing touchdown and two-point conversion of their own tying the game up at eight all.
    After a high-energy first half from the Wildcats, they couldn’t match the intensity of their opponent in the second half as Dayton was able to pick their spots effectively. Marksberry got what he wanted on offense finishing the game with 188 yards and three touchdowns.
    The pace of the game wasn’t the only deciding factor as the turnover reared it’s big ugly head. The Wildcats put the ball on the grass the second play of the game. It happened two more times through the game as Dayton was able to recover three fumbles.
    The Wildcats are a team whose offense is based around ball control and pacing. The rushing attack allows the team who wields it to severely effect the time of possession. It’s an effective strategy if the team can maintain a solid defensive presence throughout the game and avoid falling behind by too large a deficit.
    Rogers led the Wildcats in offensive production,  gathering 35 rushing yards, a touchdown and a conversion. Jordan Pearson had 25 yards on two rushing attempts in his Wildcat debut.
    On defense, Rogers led the way with 10 total tackles. Senior defensive back Tredyn Thomas had three tackles and snagged an interception adding a 22 yard return on top of that