Tharptown Wildcats shut out Vina Red Devils
The Tharptown Wildcats shut out the Vina Red Devils 28-0 in both teams’ final game of the season.
Turnovers ruled the night, with field conditions deteriorating as the game progressed.
“It was some rough field conditions, but it’s been that way almost all year,” said Tharptown coach Kevin Lacey. “We struggled in our region this year, but these guys never quit and kept fighting and finding a way to win our non-region games.”
The first quarter was a slugfest, with each team struggling to find consistency.
“We made some mistakes and put the ball on the ground way too much, but we were finally able to take advantage of some of their mistakes and make some big plays,” Lacey said. “I am proud for our seniors. We have a bunch of guys who played their last game tonight, and it is always special to go out a winner.”
Tharptown finally broke through with 10:50 to go in the second quarter. Aiden Villalobos squirted through the Vina defense and broke free for a 70-yard touchdown run, giving the Wildcats 6-0 lead.
Tharptown scored again as time was expiring in the first half on a six-yard pass from Hunter Reynolds to Nick Chaney. Blake Daily added the two-point conversion run to take a 14-0 halftime lead.
Daily added a touchdown midway through the third quarter to extend Tharptown’s lead to 21-0.
Villalobos bookended the game with his second touchdown on the night. This time he marched in from eight yards out. Ismael Perez added his second straight point–after kick to give the Wildcats the 28-0 finish.
