The Wortham Bulldogs took the lead with nine seconds remaining, only to lose a heartbreaker on the final play of the game at Palestine High School Friday night. The Mount Enterprise Wildcats took the game 32-28 and advance to the regional semifinal to face the Bremond Tigers.
The Bulldogs drove 50 yards on their final drive of the game, taking five minutes off the clock and Jon Ross Black pushed in from one yard out and nine seconds remaining on the clock.
The Wortham offense lost the ball on their first possession and the Wildcats went down and needed 11 plays to go 67 yards and Kaegan Ash, returning for his third game after an early season injury, scored on a one-yard run. The try for two was short and the Wildcats led 6-0.
The running of Black and a couple of pass completions put the Bulldogs in scoring position. Black pushed in for the one-yard score and added the conversion run for the 8-6 lead with a minute remaining in the first quarter.
Mount Enterprise went back to work and used another five minutes, and 11 more plays and Ash ran the final 11 yards for the touchdown, and he added the conversion run and the Wildcats took a 14-8 lead.
Wortham answered on a short drive of 44 yards and Black added the touchdown and Kymani Johnson ran in the conversion and the Bulldogs regained the 16-14.
Lance Jones recovered a fumble, and the Bulldogs went back to work. This 37-yard drive finished with a Kymani Johnson 2-yard run. The conversion was short, and the Bulldogs led 22-14 with less than 30 seconds remaining in the half.
The Wildcats had one more score with the offense that is grounded with the run. Aadin Alsup ripped off a 24-yard run and caught a 45-yard pass, the eighth pass attempt of the season, down to the two-yard line. Ash carried it the rest of the way and the conversion run was short, and the Bulldogs clung to a 22-20 halftime lead.
It was a scoreless third quarter until the Wildcats regained the lead with a little over five minutes remaining in the game. On a busted option, quarterback Bryce Durrett tossed it over a Bulldog defender to Ash and he found daylight and ran for a 59-yard touchdown. The conversion run was no good, but the Wildcats led 26-22.
Wortham took the ball at midfield and Black converted on a third down with the run to the Wildcat 38. He converted a second time on third down with a run to the 25. It was fourth and three when Black broke loose and was tackled at the three-yard line. Three plays later, Black followed his offensive line into the end zone for the touchdown with nine seconds remaining. The run for two was no good but the Bulldogs had the 28-26 edge.
Mount Enterprise burned their timeouts before they ran a play, the first one knocked away by Black. From the 31, on second down and three seconds on the clock, Durrett heaved a pass, and it landed perfectly in the arms of Ash, and he ran the final 20 yards for the game winning touchdown, eliminating the Wortham Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs finish the season 8-4 and leave the Bremond Tigers as the only team remaining from District 10-2A Division II. The following seniors played their final game for the Bulldogs: Yancey Bean, Cameron King, Kymani Johnson, Jesse Saldana, Jon Ross Black, Lance Jones, Charlie Cortes, Ke’Marion Stellivan, Wyatt Robertson, Ty Carroll, Chris Chasteen, Elynn Stevenson, Trett Carroll, and James Johnson.
Scott Batts reporting
(Photos by Jennifer Lansford)
