Tigers down Wildcats, 53-7, sit atop Class 5A Region 3
The Demopolis Tigers and Shelby County Wildcats were tied at 2-0 in Class 5A Region 3 before their game in Columbiana on Friday night. When the game ended, the Tigers had claimed the top spot by convincingly defeating the Wildcats 53-7.
The Wildcats won the toss and elected to receive to open the game, but the Tiger defense held the Wildcats to force a punt. The Tigers were the first to get on the board when Drew Seymore hit Vincent Deas for a 17 yard touchdown pass. Joseph Gantt’s PAT gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead at the 7:54 mark of the first quarter.
After the Tiger defense held the Wildcats on their second possession, Craig Nichols got into the end zone on an 11-yard run. Gantt’s PAT stretched the Tigers’ lead to 14-0 with 3:30 to go in the first quarter.
The Tigers’ third touchdown of the game came when JaTayvion Scott hauled in a 19-yard touchdown pass from Seymore with 7:29 to go in the second quarter. Gatt’s PAT gave the Tigers a 21-0 lead over the Wildcats.
With 4:10 to go in the first half, Seymore and Deas connected for their second touchdown of the night, a 39-yarder. The PAT failed, but the Tigers increased their lead to 27-0 over the Wildcats.
The Tigers tacked on their fifth touchdown of the first half when Kentrell Adams hauled in Seymore’s third touchdown pass of the first half. The 15-yard strike came at the 1:27 mark of the second quarter. The unsuccessful PAT left the Tigers with a 33-0 lead which held until halftime.
The Tigers opened the second in similar fashion as they finished the first half. After receiving the opening second half kick, the Tigers had a touchdown called back on a penalty. However, the Tigers overcame the penalty and Nichols picked up his second touchdown of the night on a 1-yard run with 10:00 remaining in the third quarter. Gantt’s PAT gave the Tigers a 40-0 lead over the Wildcats.
With 2:13 remaining in the third quarter, Lamarion Kelly crossed the goal line with a 28-yard run for the Tigers. Gantt’s PAT stretched the Tiger lead to 47-0.
The Wildcats picked up a touchdown on a 17-yard run with 7:41 to go in the fourth quarter and tacked on the PAT to close the Tigers’ lead to 47-7.
The Tigers answered the Wildcat touchdown on the next play, when Harrison Carroll fielded the ensuing kickoff and returned it 71 yards for a touchdown. The PAT failed, but the Tigers claimed a 53-7 lead which proved to be the final score.
The Tigers ended the night with 406 yards of total offense, 206 of those yards coming through the air.
Seymore connected on 18 of 23 passes for 207 yards. Deas led all receivers with 112 yards and two touchdowns, catching six passes while being targeted six times. Carroll caught four passes for 39 yards. Scott and Adams caught the only passes thrown their way, both going for touchdowns of 19 and 15 yards, respectively. Demetrius Allen caught one pass for 11 yards. Kenon Rowser and Montgomery Freeman caught one pass each, both for seven yards. Kelvin Rowser caught two passes for three yards.
The Tigers (3-2, 3-0) travel to Jasper to take on the Vikings for their next game.