Defense Leads Wills Point To 16-14 Win

WILLS POINT—A complete team effort with a refusal to lose was the formula that the Wills Point Tigers had been looking forward to executing for the past several weeks.

It all came together Friday night in their regular season finale as the Tigers captured their first win of the season by outlasting the visiting Mineola Yellowjackets 16-14.

First year head coach Kevin Garvin and his squad completed the 2008 season with an overall mark of 1-9 and a District 14-3A record of 1-4.

Mineola suffered its fourth consecutive defeat to finish its campaign at 4-6 overall and 1-4 in district play.

In capturing their season ending victory, the Tigers had to rally from behind early in the contest.

Following a Tiger punt, the Yellowjackets needed two plays to move 59 yards for the first score of the evening.

Mineola running back Jacobbey

Sinches raced 7 yards for a touchdown and with the extra point, the Yellowjackets grabbed a 7-0 advantage with 10:38 to play in the first quarter.

Yellowjacket quarterback Tyler Drennon opened the drive with a 52-yard run.

After that drive, the Tiger defense would hold Mineola to 115 yards of offense.

"We gave up the one long run," Garvin said of Dennon’s gain, "But after that the defense played really well."

An exchange of punts followed before the Tigers went 54 yards in 10 plays to tie the score.

Tiger QB Trent Jurica (13 completions, 21 attempts, 154 yards) connected with wide receiver Marquis Burch (four receptions, 43 yards) on a 12-yard TD pass completion and Evann Padilla added the extra point to deadlock the score at 7-7 with 1:49 remaining in the second quarter.

Key plays in the Tiger scoring drive included pass completions from Jurica covering 15 yards to WR Padilla, 13 yards to WR Zac Schaubroeck and 15 yards to Burch.

Mineola threatened to break the tie just before halftime as the Yellowjackets moved from their own 26 to the Wills Point 28 in six plays including pass completions from Drennon covering 14 yards to receiver Eric Hughes and 12 yards to Colt Bickerstaff.

The Yellowjackets faced a fourth down and six at the Wills Point 28 with two seconds to play before halftime.

Mineola decided to send in their kicker to attempt a 45-yard field goal but the attempt fell just inches short of the goal post keeping the game tied at 7-7 at intermission.

The Yellowjackets received the third quarter kickoff and again threatened to get on the scoreboard as they moved from their own 28 to the Tiger 17 in 14 plays including a 10-yard pass completion from Drennon to Bickerstaff and an 11-yard run by Sinches.

Facing fourth down and 14 at the Wills Point 18, the Yellowjackets attempted a 35-yard

FG but the kick was wide left.

Wills Point then moved 80 yards in seven plays to take the lead.

Jurica ended the march with a 25-yard TD run. Padilla added the extra point to give the Tigers a 14-7 advantage with 2:32 remaining in the third quarter.

Key plays in the go-ahead scoring march for the Tigers included running gains of 13 yards each by RB Lewis Battles and Cyle Henderson and a personal foul penalty against the Yellowjackets.

The Tigers added to their lead on Mineola’s next offensive possession as Drennon fumbled in the Yellowjacket end zone.

Mineola fell on the loose ball for a Wills Point safety extending the Tiger lead to 16-7 with 2:15 remaining in the third quarter.

Following the Yellowjacket free kick, the Tigers took over possession at the Wills Point 45.

Three plays later, Jurica connected with Battles on a 27-yard pass completion but Battles fumbled at the end of the reception with Mineola defensive back Matt Collett recovering the ball at the Yellowjacket 38.

An exchange of punts followed before Mineola rallied on the strength of a 58-yard punt return by Oneal James giving the Yellowjackets a first down and goal at the Tiger 10.

Two plays later, Sinches ran two yards for a TD. The extra point was good cutting Wills Point’s lead to two points, 16-14, with 7:39 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers moved from their own 26 to the Mineola 30 in nine plays but the scoring threat ended with a turnover.

Jurica ran eight yards for an apparent first down but fumbled with Mineola recovering the ball at the Yellowjacket 22 with 1:59 remaining.

Wills Point’s defense stiffened as they forced three straight incomplete passes by the Yellowjackets setting up fourth down and 10.

Drennon’s pass on fourth down was intercepted by Tiger linebacker Alex Anderson at the Mineola 18 allowing the Tigers to run out the clock and celebrate their first victory of 2008.

"This (the win) gives us a positive note to go into the offseason," Garvin said. "It was also good for the seniors to end on a winning note on senior night."