ABILENE, TX — Week 1 of the 2023 High School Football season is finally here. The Water Valley Wildcats traveled to McMurry University in Abilene on Thursday, August 24, to face off against the TLCA Abilene Eagles. The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead to gain momentum and continued to score throughout the first half. Water Valley’s defense came to play on Thursday night and only allowed nine points. Water Valley ran away with the ball game to claim the first victory of the season, 60-9.
“The message tonight was simple,” Coach Aaron Whitmire said of his team after the game. “Execute what we do at a high level.”
That’s exactly what Water Valley did. The Wildcats had eight possessions on offense in the first half and made a statement by scoring touchdowns every single time they touched the ball. TLCA Abilene did its best to slow down the athletic duo of quarterback Anthony Quintana and runningback David Valeriano, but Water Valley speedsters ran track meets up and down the field all evening.
TLCA Abilene’s receivers Ja’Markis Lowery and Jay Kirk made several acrobatic catches down the sidelines, and QB Jonathan Rico made a few flashy runs to set up a field goal in the first half, but the Eagles never managed to finish off a drive in the end zone.
Water Valley received the second-half kickoff and immediately went back to work. After the Wildcats overcame a 2nd and 18 situation after a holding call, Quintana scored a touchdown from 22 yards out. Water Valley led 60-3 with 8:17 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
Water Valley in action versus TLCA Abilene
(San Angelo LIVE! Photo/Ryan Chadwick)
Water Valley in action versus TLCA Abilene
(San Angelo LIVE! Photo/Ryan Chadwick)
Water Valley in action versus TLCA Abilene
(San Angelo LIVE! Photo/Ryan Chadwick)
Water Valley in action versus TLCA Abilene
(San Angelo LIVE! Photo/Ryan Chadwick)
Lowery and Kirk kept the Eagles’ offense alive on TLCA Abilene’s first drive in the 3rd quarter. First, Kirk made a shoestring catch on the sidelines to give the Eagles a first down. Next, Lowery beat the defense deep and caught a pass in stride that pushed the Eagles inside Water Valley’s 10-yard line. The Wildcats then stopped TLCA on 4th down, but a facemask on Water Valley gave the Eagles new life at the 1-yard line. Rico capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Solo. The moral victory was a huge win on a night when it seemed like nothing went right for TLCA.
After the Eagles scored their touchdown, Water Valley took its foot off the gas offensively. Neither team managed another touchdown as the Wildcats claimed their first victory of the young 2023 season over TLCA Abilene 60-9.
Watch the postgame interview with Coach Whitmire below:
The Water Valley Wildcats (1-0) travel to Hamlin next week to take on the Hamlin Pied Pipers on Friday, September 1, at 7 p.m.
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