The Wortham Bulldogs travelled to Overton and suffered the first win of the season for the Mustangs in a 54-26 win over the Bulldogs.
Wortham began the season at 4-0 but suffered through the final six games and lost all six, the last five in district play and will not qualify for the playoffs.
The Bulldogs did not get a first down in the first quarter and a short punt set the Mustangs up at the Wortham 43. Hudson Rogers and Luke Osburn teamed up and the Mustang backfield had five running plays to the end zone. Rogers finished the drive with a nine-yard run and a 7-0 lead.
Osburn added a 24-yard touchdown run for a 14-0 lead in the early moments of the second quarter.
Wortham got on the scoreboard on the next drive on eight running plays, all by senior running back Stephon Ester, the last one for a two-yard score, cutting the lead to 14-6.
The Bulldog defense got a stop and forced an Overton punt and took over at their 21-yard line. On the second play of the drive, Mustang linebacker Nathan Palmer stepped in front of a Breven Tobola pass and he raced into the end zone for 12-yard interception return.
On the next play, following the kickoff, a backward pass bounced off Ester and Palmer scooped it up and outran the Bulldogs for the 80-yard fumble return and a 28-6 halftime lead.
An exchange of punts in the early minutes of the second half, Wortham sent Ester on a 19-yard touchdown run and cut into the Mustang lead 28-12.
Logan Salisbury recovered a fumble and the Bulldogs got their first break of the game. On the second play of the drive, Ester broke away on a 29-yard touchdown run and the Bulldogs cut the lead to 28-18.
It did not take long for the Mustangs to build the lead back. On second down from the Mustang 30, Osburn took the handoff and ran the sweep for 70 yards and a 35-18 lead.
Wortham did cut the lead one more time before the end of the third quarter, Ester took off on perhaps his best run of the year, a 77-yard run putting him near the 300-yard mark for the night to go with four touchdowns.
Osburn caught a touchdown pass and lineman Ashton King scored on a one yard run to take a 48-26 lead. The last score of the night was a King fumble recovery and he rumbled 32 yards for the score and the 54-26 lead.
Stephon Ester had a whopping 40 carries for 334 yards and four touchdowns. The carries are the most in a regular season. The school record of 41 was in a playoff game against Karnack. The 334 yards sets a school record that dates back nearly 20 when Michael Betts ran for 333 against Oakwood.
