Haire goes over 100 yards receiving
NEVADA — The Sulphur Springs Wildcats got off to a strong start in district play Friday by winning their district opener 36-7 over the Community Braves. Following a slow first quarter, the Wildcats turned up the heat in the second quarter and never looked back, leading to the win.
The first quarter was a defensive battle for both teams, as each team struggled to move the ball down the field. The first quarter ended in a scoreless tie, 0-0.
The second quarter would see the Wildcats’ offense begin to improve, as they started finding their rhythm. Three touchdowns would give the Wildcats a 21-0 lead going into halftime.
Coming out of the break, the Wildcats’ stellar play continued, while the Braves struggled. The Wildcats added two more touchdowns, increasing their lead to 34-0.
The fourth quarter would saw the Wildcats continue their strong play, even coming up with a defensive safety. Though the Braves would score a touchdown to break up the shutout, it wasn’t enough to make a difference, as the Wildcats preserved a 36-7 win.
Brady Driver had a great performance, completing 11 of 17 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns. He also added 66 rushing yards on seven carries.
Kaden Mitchell would complete his lone pass attempt for 28 yards, also catching one pass for nine yards.
Cameron Jefferson was the leading rusher, gaining 111 yards on 15 carries and scoring a touchdown. Kyshaun John rushed seven times for 48 yards.
Jaxson Haire was the leading receiver, catching four passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Skyler Lewis would have four catches for 79 yards, also hauling in two touchdowns. Three other players all caught one pass each: Wyatt Watson for 33 yards, Iverson Ervine for 28 yards, and Chris Adams for 13 yards.
Defensively, Grayson Hardy was the leading tackler with 15 tackles. Ty Bybee also had double-digit tackles with 12.
Austin Chaney, Alex King, and Larren Vaughn all came up with nine tackles a piece. Other tacklers include DaeDae Hall and Alex McCormick with eight each, Truth Holmes with six, Giovanni Solis with five, Nathan Andrews, Bo Loggins, and Barrett Thesing with three each, Sergio Ibarra and Zac Thomas with two each, and Malachi Clayton, Mikel Godwin, and Diamone Gotcher with one each.
Andrews and Holmes both had one sack eachh, while King and Thomas had one quarterback hurry each. Ibarra would additionally come up with three interceptions.
With this win, the Wildcats improved to 1-0 in district and 5-1 overall. They will be back in action Friday, when they welcome the Mabank Panthers to Gerald Prim Stadium for their homecoming game.