LONGVIEW — Rescuing victory from the jaws of defeat, the Arp Tigers snapped up a 34-28 double-overtime triumph over the Omaha Paul Pewitt Brahmas Thursday night at a rain-soaked Lobo Stadium.

Junior Marcalas Johnson completed a halfback jump pass to junior tight end Kalik Hines to provide the margin of victory. The Tigers (7-4) notch the Class 2A Division II bi-district win and advance to face the winner of tonight’s Crawford (10-0)-Anderson Shiro (5-5) contest, which is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Buffalo.

Paul Pewitt (7-4) appeared to have the game in hand after Kevin Hannah recovered an Arp fumble early in the fourth quarter. The Brahmas, held a 28-21 advantage at the time, and proceeded to go on a methodical drive with a punishing ground attack.

The blue brigade moved 11 plays, drove 60 yards and ate up over six minutes of the play clock before disaster struck. Thomas Reese jumped a pass route and sprinted 92 yards down the sideline to glory as the Arp side of the stadium erupted in jubilation. Mykel Frost toed the all-important point after to knot the score at 28-28 with 4:59 to play in regulation.

Johnson was simply a beast for the Tigers, which avenged a 28-27 loss to the Brahmas in Week One. The junior workhorse carried 34 times for 268 yards and scored three TDs.

Paul Pewitt quarterback Isaiah Porter was his team’s leading rusher in a losing cause with 90 yards on 13 carries and a couple of scores.

The first half was played even as the Brahmas took a slim 16-15 lead in at intermission.

After trading possessions to open the contest, the Brahmas mounted a march that yielded the first points of the night. Senior fullback Zane MacKay toted the pig for seven on a critical third down conversion and senior slot back Geromy Porter took a toss right and literally bolted 57 yards to the house.

Porter and junior tight end Drew Cox converted on the 2-point conversion to make it 8-0 with 1:01 left in the first period. Porter’s dash culminated a 5-play, 74-yard drive that used 2:20 of the play clock.

Arp had a prompt response to the Pewitt tally when Johnson raced 69 yards to the pylon just 21 seconds later. The Tigers opened to kick the point after and Frost converted the boot to make it 8-7 late in the opening stanza.

— George Whitley

 

Class 2A Division I

Tatum 49, Kountze 10

LUFKIN — Nine months after putting an end to the basketball season for Kountze, the Tatum Eagles sent the Lions into basketball season with a 49-10 Class 2A Division I bi-district football playoff win Thursday at Abe Martin Stadium.

Tatum, ranked No. 3, remained unbeaten on the season and moved to 11-0. Kountze, which was ranked No. 1 in basketball this past February when Tatum knocked them out of the playoffs, finishes with a 6-5 record. Kountze opened the scoring with a special teams score, blocking a punt that rolled out of the end zone to account for all of the scoring in the opening stanza.

The second quarter belonged to Tatum, which scored 26 points in the final 5:23 of the half.

Dusty Richardson got the Eagles on the board with a 33-yard field goal, and then Demetrius Hill returned an interception 18 yards for a score 20 seconds later.

Tatum then drove 77 yards in four plays, scoring on a 65-yard touchdown pass from Kyshaun Smith to Deyanta Roberson off a reverse. The Eagles capped the first half scoring with a safety.

The Eagles advance to the area round where they will play Godley (8-3).

 

Class 2A Division II

Waskom 56, Union Grove 17

HALLSVILLE — Two teams with 66 combined seasons of not making the playoffs met on the Bobcat Stadium turf Thursday night, and Waskom didn’t waste any time in turning the tide in its favor.

Dillon Benton ran five times for 145 yards and two touchdowns, June Bug Johnson accounted for 139 yards of total offense and scored three first-quarter touchdowns, while Kevin Johnson ran five times for 82 yards and two touchdowns in a 56-17 win against Union Grove.

Waskom is making its first playoff appearance since 1992. Union Grove was in the postseason for the first time since 1968.

Mike Reason finished with 10 tackles for the Wildcats (11-0), who outgained the Lions 376-181 and will play the winner of Deweyville-Rosebud-Lott next week in an area round game to be determined.

Benton ran 68 yards for a touchdown, and all-state defensive lineman Justin Spurlin recovered a bad snap on a punt in the end zone for a score, as Benton’s run was the Wildcats’ lone third-quarter play.

Garrett Gibson ran 22 times for 93 yards and began the fourth quarter with a 20-yard touchdown run and added a 19-yard touchdown pass to Tristen Thompson for the final points for Union Grove (5-6).

Kevin Johnson had previously scored his second touchdown on a 52-yarder for a second one-play drive.

June Bug Johnson made it look easy after returning the opening kickoff 65 yards for a touchdown 14 seconds into the game. Waskom forced the Lions to punt after a pair of Mike Reason tackles and spread the wealth with Tony Ratcliff, quarterback Chase Carter, and Johnson who scored on a 9-yard run.

Kevin Johnson got in on the action with a 12-yard run to set up Carter’s 48-yard reverse pass to June Bug Johnson for the junior’s third touchdown in less than a quarter and 21-0 advantage at the 1:47 mark.

 

Six Man

Oakwood 64, Leverett’s Chapel 6

OAKWOOD — The Oakwood Panthers opened the six-man football playoffs with a 64-6 win over the Leverett’s Chapel Lions Thursday night at Panther Stadium.

The Division I bi-district contest saw the Panthers jump out to an early lead and cruise from there. Oakwood improves to 7-4, while the Lions end their season at 8-3.

“We played poorly tonight” LC head coach Matt Everett said. “Oakwood played great and the scoreboard reflected it.”

The Lions could not get it together as they had five fumbles and two interceptions as all seven turnovers led to Oakwood touchdowns.

The only score for the Lions came with the clock running out as Koy Burks ran into the end from two yards out, finishing a four-play, 47-yad drive. Burks ran the ball nine times for 43 yards. Paco Chavez had for 16 yards on three carries, while Felipe Amaro added 13 yards on three attempts.

The Lions totaled 90 yards.

The Panthers had nine plays from scrimmage and they scored eight times. In the nine plays, Oakwood had seven rushing plays for 296 yards and two passing plays for 110 yards.

— Rev. Edwin Findley