Tigers trounce Wildcats in opener
WHITEHOUSE, Texas—It was all Texas High, all night at Wildcat Stadium, up until the end.
The Tigers built a 48-7 lead early in the fourth quarter following a punt to the Wildcat 1 and interception inside the 15, setting up a short field as Texas High avenged last year’s last-minute loss to Whitehouse with a 48-20 win Friday in the season opener.
Cade Pearson threw for 219 yards and a TD and rushed for another pair of scores for Texas High. Markese Martin ran for two TDs, Jakardi Witcher had 100 rushing yards and a score, and Quan Hampton caught four balls for 97 yards.
The Tigers had 440 yards of total offense and limited the Wildcats’ high-octane offense to 365 yards. A pair of fumbles by Texas High substitutes late in the game enabled Whitehouse QB Tanner Roach to throw fourth quarter scores to Zach Parker and Jordan Mims.
Backup THS quarterback J.T. Morgan added a 1-yard sneak for the final Tiger points, coming with 9:20 left in the game and pushing the advantage to 41 points.
The Tigers piled up 314 yards of offense in the first half and took advantage of two turnovers and a pair of big plays late in the second quarter to build a 34-7 lead at intermission.
Pearson, who had a 1-yard sneak in the final minute of the half after connecting with Hampton on a 52-yard catch-and-run, was 8 of 13 for 202 yards before halftime.
Witcher raced 71 yards with 2:39 left in the half for his score and reached 100 yards rushing just before Pearson’s second rushing TD of the game. Pearson also capped a 10-play, 66-yard drive on Texas High’s third possession with a 4-yard keeper around the right side.
That scoring campaign was set up after the Wildcats drove inside the THS 10, but Roach was sacked and fumbled, and Jacobi Brewer scooped up the ball and returned it 22 yards to the 34.
Following the Tigers’ initial score, coming with 1:20 left in the first period, Whitehouse caught a first-down pass but fumbled at midfield, and Jacorien Walker dove on the ball at the Wildcat 48.
Pearson hit Witcher down the right sideline to set up Markese Martin’s 3-yard TD plunge on the first play of the second quarter. Ethan Montez’s PAT made it 14-0.
Texas High stopped the Wildcats’ ensuing drive inside their own 20, and Pearson threw a 9-yard scoring strike to Kip Williams on the sixth play.
Down 21 points, Whitehouse finally put together a scoring drive. Covering 89 yards in 13 plays, the Wildcats got on the scoreboard on Roach’s 31-yard pass to Trent Williams. Three plays later, Witcher was off to the races for his touchdown.