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SCORING RUN — Brady Driver (4) follows behind a block of Cameron Jefferson (22) on his way to the end zone during the Wildcats' game against Paris Friday. Driver completed five of nine passes for 59 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception, though his biggest impact was on the ground, as he rushed for a team-high 163 yards on 23 carries and scored four touchdowns in the Wildcats' 37-30 victory. Photo by Dinh Tran
Driver racks up 163 rushing yards
PARIS — The Sulphur Springs Wildcats picked up their sixth consecutive win Friday with a 37-30 win over the Paris Wildcats. Though Paris would mount a comeback late in the game, a late touchdown and a defensive stop would allow Sulphur Springs to escape with the win.
The first quarter would see both offenses play well. Sulphur Springs would strike first with a four-yard touchdown run by Brady Driver. Eric Rodriguez would add the extra point, giving Sulphur Springs a 7-0 lead.
Paris would answer with a seven-yard touchdown run. A successful extra point tied the score at 7-7.
Sulphur Springs pulled ahead before the quarter ended with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Driver to Wyatt Watson. The extra point was no good however, as Sulphur Springs led 13-7 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter would see Sulphur Springs add onto their lead. Their next score was a 31-yard field goal by Rodriguez, extending their lead to 16-7.
Soon after, they scored again when Driver ran in for a one-yard touchdown. Rodriguez added the extra point, increasing Sulphur Springs’ lead to 23-7.
Paris would score another touchdown before halftime on a 42-yard touchdown pass. A successful extra point trimmed the score to 23-14 going into halftime.
Coming out of the break, the third quarter wouldn’t feature nearly as much scoring. Sulphur Springs scored the only third quarter points when Driver scored on a 15-yard touchdown run. Rodriguez added the extra point, giving Sulphur Springs a 30-14 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Paris would mount a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, starting with a seven-yard touchdown pass. A successful two-point conversion trimmed the score to 30-22.
Soon after, Paris scored again on a three-yard touchdown run. A successful two-point conversion would then tie the score at 30-30.
Sulphur Springs would reclaim the lead when Driver scored on a four-yard touchdown run. Rodriguez added the extra point, putting Sulphur Springs ahead at 37-30.
Paris tried to mount one more drive, but a late interception by Austin Chaney would seal the game, as Sulphur Springs held on for a 37-30 win.
Driver would complete five of nine passes for 59 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception. He would make his biggest impact in the ground game, rushing for 163 yards on 23 carries and scoring four touchdowns.
Malachi Roland rushed for 60 yards on seven carries. Cameron Jefferson had 18 yards on four carries.
Chris Adams was the leading receiver, catching two passes for 33 yards. Jaxson Haire hauled in two passes for 19 yards. Watson caught one pass for seven yards, which resulted in a touchdown.
Defensively, Grayson Hardy was the leading tackler with 16 tackles. Larren Vaughn wasn’t far behind with 13 tackles.
Also tallying double- digit tackles were Alex McCormick with 12 and Ty Bybee with 11. Other tacklers include Nathan Andrews with eight, Chaney with seven, DaeDae Hall and Truth Holmes with six each, Bo Loggins with four, Zac Thomas with three, Giovanni Solis with two, and Sergio Ibarra and Matthew Jeter with one each.
Holmes would also record two sacks. Andrews and Loggins added one sack each.
With this win, the Wildcats improved to 3-0 in district and 7-1 overall. Their next game is Friday, when they welcome the Kaufman Lions to Gerald Prim Stadium for their senior night game.