In a rematch of week 10, the DeKalb County Tigers traveled to Livingston to take on the Wildcats in the second round of the TSSAA state playoffs.
After bouncing back from the 35-13 loss to the Wildcats in week 10, with a 39-21 win over Sequoyah, the Tigers were itching to get the game started.
DeKalb started with an impressive 80-yard drive that was capped by a Lucas Phillips 4-yard touchdown pass to Will Molander. Ben Driver’s kick was good, giving DeKalb an early 7-0 lead.
With 1:55 remaining in the first quarter, the Wildcats got on the board with a 29-yard field goal by kicker Eli Saddler.
After two stalled drives by the Tigers’ offense, Livingston marched down the field with an 11-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 4-yard touchdown run by quarterback Brock McCoin.
The Tigers had a chance to take the lead with less than one minute to go before halftime. DeKalb had a first-and-goal on the 5-yard line, but after back-to-back sacks by the Wildcats’ defense, the Tigers were faced with a fourth-and-goal on the Livingston’s 32-yard line.
After the deep pass by Phillips fell incomplete, the Tigers went into the locker room down 10-7.
The Wildcats took the second half kick-off to their own 45-yard line. Eight plays later, Wildcat tight end Wade Eldridge took a 19-yard pass from McCoin to the end zone. Saddler’s kick was good, giving Livingston a 17-7 lead.
On the ensuing kick-off, Tiger return man Devonta Milan put the Tigers back into the game as he was hit and spun around, and then bolted to the end zone for an 89-yard touchdown. At the 7:00 mark in the third quarter, the Tigers trailed 17-14.
Brock McCoin’s second touchdown run of the night padded the Wildcats’ lead to 24-14.
An interception by McCoin on the Wildcats’ 12-yard line ended a drive by the Tigers’ offense. 11-plays later, the Wildcats hit pay dirt once again when receiver Mark Winningham broke open, as McCoin’s pass was on the mark for a 31-yard touchdown strike. Saddler’s kick was no good, but the Wildcats extended their lead to 30-14 with only 5:12 remaining in the game.
Adding insult to injury, the Wildcats ran a trick play to score their last touchdown of the game, with an 18-yard pass to McCoin from Winningham, to reach the final score of 37-14.
The Tigers end their season with a 10-2 record, with both losses to the Wildcats. The Smithville Review would like to congratulate the Tigers on a great season.
TIGER PRIDE!!!