VAN—Throughout the 2009 football season, the Van Vandals have had to face numerous challenges including injuries and illnesses.

WILLS POINT–A year after finishing 1-9, the Wills Point Tigers clinched the District 14-3A championship Friday night with a 54-21 win over the visiting Eustace Bulldogs, who also clinched a playoff berth.

Now 8-1 on the season and a perfect 4-0 in district play, Wills Point travels to Mineola next Friday for the final regular-season game, while Eustace winds up the regular season at home against the Van Vandals.

Van crushed Canton 47-22 Friday to clinch a playoff berth.

Just like last year, both the Bulldogs and Vandals are in the playoffs – they’ll just settle second and third place when they play.

In the district’s other game, Mineola knocked off Kemp in a battle of Yellowjackets, 42-21 (see related story below).

Following weeks of rain, the Tiger Stadium turf was soggy, but surprisingly firm in the middle of the field, where the teams spent the majority of the evening, but both sidelines were mudbogs, and anything going to the outside was risky.

Eustace opened the game with a three-and-out, and it took the Tigers just four plays to score the game’s first touchdown.

Actually, it only took two plays for the Tigers to get into scoring position, as senior quarterback Trent Jurica (16-of-26, 249 yards, four touchdowns) hit Junior Hamilton for a 36-yard gain, and then hit Marquis Burch for 20 yards to the Bulldog 3.

Brandon Morris (eight carries, 131 yards, three TDs) finished the drive with a three-yard run, but a pass for two failed, leaving the Tigers up 6-0.

The Bulldogs came back with a 77-yard drive in 10 plays. Senior quarterback Chris Compton keyed the march with runs of 18 and 14 yards, with fullback Justin Calhoun adding an 11-yard run.

Compton capped the march with a one-yard plunge, and Jacob McCarter’s PAT kick gave the Bulldogs a 7-6 lead with 3:46 left in the first quarter.

Wills Point suffered the first of four fumbles, but the first one was the only one they lost, as it was recovered by Eustace at the Tiger 38.

After grinding out a first down, the Tiger defense stiffened, and a fourth-and-13 shuttle pass to Calhoun gained just seven yards.

Starting at their 17, the Tigers took six plays to march to their second touchdown, which came on a 28-yard pass from Jurica to Hamilton.

A try for two failed, but the Tigers were ahead 12-7 with 10:05 left in the first half.

A key play in the scoring drive was a 43-yard run by Steven Cunigan on an end-around, which set the Tigers up at the Bulldog 28.

Eustace took just two plays to counter the score, as Calhoun broke free up the middle for a 62-yard scoring scamper.

McCarter’s PAT gave the Bulldogs the lead again, 14-12, with 9:07 left in the first half.

The Tigers put together their third scoring march, moving 70 yards in seven plays.

Cunigan again provided the big play, taking a Jurica pass for 38 yards to the 10, following that with a seven-yard touchdown reception.

Jurica hit Cunigan for a two-point conversion to put the Tigers up 20-14 with 6:26 left in the first half.

Eustace went three-and-out on their subsequent possession, and the Tigers again struck quickly, as Cunigan turned in his fourth big play of the first half, a 39-yard touchdown reception with 3:24 left in the first half.

Evann Padilla added the PAT kick to give the Tigers a 27-14 lead.

The Bulldogs used the last three minutes of the first half to go on another scoring march, moving 67 yards in nine plays, with Compton capping the drive with an 11-yard scoring run.

Uncharacteristically, the Bulldogs used the pass to move downfield, as Compton hit Justin Hall for a 19-yard gain to set the Bulldogs up at the Tiger 18.

McCarter’s PAT kick made it a one-possession game, 27-21, at halftime.

The Tigers opened the second half with a three-and-out, and the Bulldogs came back with a lengthy march, moving from their 19 to the Wills Point 35 before stalling.

On third-and-10, Compton’s pass was picked off by linebacker Joseph Gray, who returned the theft 18 yards to the Eustace 41.

The Tigers capitalized on the turnover, scoring five plays later.

Morris, who had a huge second half, set up the score with a 21-yard run, and Jurica hit Padilla from six yards out for the touchdown with 1:33 left in the third quarter.

A pass for two failed, but the Tigers were up by two scores, 33-21.

As the fourth quarter got underway, Gray grabbed his second interception, again returning it 18 yards to the Bulldog 16.

A holding penalty backed the Tigers up to the 26, but Morris covered the distance in one scamper. Padilla’s PAT kick made it 40-21 with 11:39 to play.

Eustace came back with a strong drive, moving from their 37 to the Wills Point 26 in 10 plays, converting one fourth down on the way.

On fourth-and-two at the Tiger 26, Calhoun came up just short, and the Tigers took over with just 6:55 left.

Handing the ball off to Morris had worked earlier, and it worked again, as the junior scampered 50 yards to the Bulldog 24.

A 10-yard pass from Jurica to Cunigan gave the Tigers a first-and-goal at the Bulldog 7, and Morris covered that on the next play. Padilla’s kick made it 47-21 with 4:22 left.

With the Bulldogs far behind, Murphy Snuffer came in at quarterback, and threw to Hall, who made a circus catch for a 23-yard gain to the Wills Point 47.

Snuffer’s next throw was intercepted by Tiger Clay Deen, however, and the Tigers took over at their 27.

A new running back, JoJo Blutcher, came in and took up where Morris left off, carrying five times for 58 yards in the Tigers’ final drive, capping the march with a one-yard plunge. Padilla’s kick ended the scoring with 1:20 to play.