Junior Cards Unleash Aerial Attack

NOTE: The following is an unpublished story from Tracy Sutton’s last season as head coach of Farmington Junior High football. Tracy Sutton has taken the assistant principal position at Lynch Middle School and will not coach in 2018.

FARMINGTON — The junior Cardinals improved to 2-0 on the season as Farmington won on the road at Huntsville with a 36-8 score Sept. 7.

Freshman quarterback Tate Sutton, son of coach Tracy Sutton, was sharp. Tate Sutton complete 11 of 16 passes for 214 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Tracy Sutton praised the team for taking care of the football. Farmington had no turnovers in the contest.

“Our receivers did a great job of getting open, running good routes and catching the football,” Tracy Sutton said.

Farmington scored on their first series with Tate Sutton tossing a 5-yard touchdown pass to running back DeCory Thomas. A 2-point try failed and Farmington settled for a 6-0 lead, which they quickly upped to 14-0 on their second series. Tate Sutton hooked up with Nate Pickens on a 38-yard touchdown pass. This time the conversion was good and Farmington tacked on two more points.

Farmington’s next two scores came through the air with Tate Sutton finding Collin Hummell for a pair of touchdowns of 48 and 50 yards.

“Tate hit him on a slant route,” Tracy Sutton said. “He threw the ball where it needed to be thrown and our receivers did a good job of catching it.”

Pickens added a 2-point catch to make the score, 28-0, at the half.

Tate Sutton capped the scoring for Farmington with an 18-yard quarterback keeper touchdown run in the third. He then passed to Trey Hill for another 2-point conversion and the junior Cardinals were up big, 36-0.

Huntsville scored a touchdown in the third quarter and added a 2-point conversion, but never seriously threatened. Tracy Sutton singled out the defensive work of Hill and Hayden Cox, saying they both played real good defense.

Thomas finished with 86 yards rushing on only seven carries.

“Our offensive line did a good job of blocking all night,” Tracy Sutton said. “We did a good job of mixing it up and taking what they gave us.”