The Wildcats’ football team had a hard time slowing down Lovejoy and the Wildcats season came to an end with a 45-29 loss in a bi-district game at Gerald Prim Stadium Friday night. The Leopards wasted no time getting on the board.
On their first drive, Lovejoy quarterback Carson Collins threw a long pass to wide receiver Chase Van Wagoner who caught the ball behind the Wildcats defense and ran into the end zone. The play covered 50 yards and the Leopards led 7-0 with less than two minutes gone in the first quarter. After a Wildcats punt, Collins and Van Wagoner again teamed up for another score on another long touchdown pass play. Lovejoy was up 14-0 with 5:49 left in the first quarter.
The Wildcats rallied to tie the score with two touchdowns. Receiver Simeon Taylor took a hand off on a flanker around and raced 74 yards into the end zone. The Lovejoy lead was cut to 14-7 with 2:08 left in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Wildcats quarterback D’Corian Young ran 8 yards for a touchdown and the score was tied at 14-14. Lovejoy struck for two more touchdowns before halftime.
The Leopard’s Bumper Pool, acting as quarterback in the Leopard’s Wildcat package scored both touchdowns. His 8 yard TD run gave the Leopards a 21-14 lead with 8:42 left in the second quarter. After Pool intercepted a pass, he ran 23-yards for a touchdown and Lovejoy lead 28-14 with 5:05 left in the second quarter. That was the halftime score.
The third quarter opened poorly for the Wildcats. Lovejoy booted a high kickoff into the strong wind, the Wildcats muffed it and Lovejoy recovered. Given a short field, the Leopards scored again as running back James Rainey ran 4 yards for a touchdown. Lovejoy led 35-14 with 7:49 left in the third quarter. The Wildcats responded with a touchdown drive of their own. Colton Allen was running hard inside the five when several Wildcats offensive linemen pushed an entire pile of players, including Allen, into the end zone. The Wildcats trailed 35-21 with 2:24 left in the third quarter. Lovejoy’s quarterback Collins and receiver Van Wagoner combined for a third time on a long touchdown pass play. With just :48 second left in the third quarter, the Leopards went up, 42-21.
In the fourth quarter, the Leopards kicked a field goal to increase their lead to 45-21 with about 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats had one final touchdown in them. Quarterback Ryan Humphries ran for a touchdown. Humphries then found receiver Jase Thompson in the end zone for a two point conversion. The Wildcats trailed 45-29 with just 3:20 left in the fourth quarter. A Wildcats’ on sides kick attempt was unsuccessful. Lovejoy ran out the clock to take the bi-district game, 45-29.
The Wildcats end their season with a 5-6 record.
