Tigers Take the Sting Out: Down Hornets in Bi-District Round

ROBERT LEE— The May Tigers fought for the Irion County Hornets the entire game and ended up victorious, 92-70.

In their bi-district matchup, the Tigers took the sting out of the Hornets and made the plays they needed when they needed.

In the first quarter, after less than 30 seconds in the game, one of the Warriors Three, Irion County’s Wyatt Morris, bashed in a five-yard run for a touchdown to go up 8-0 over the Tigers early. With 6:47 left in the opening frame, May’s Ben Harrell took a six-yard pass from Braden Steele in for a score, but a failed kick left the Tigers trailing 8-6.

The Hornets got back into the endzone with 5:31 remaining in the first quarter with a 44-yard Morris run. Irion County missed the point after attempt and went up 14-6. Then, nearly instantly, Steele threw a 44-yard pass to Jackson Lusk to get May on the board again with 5:22 remaining and a May missed extra point moved the score to 14-12.

Iyran Davis completed a nice pass to Kyle Olivan for a good gain. Then, Irion County fumbled the ball but an offsides penalty on the Tigers handed it back to the Hornets. Then, a Davis pass to Parker Posey was played very well by Tiger defender Cayson Dail. May took over possession and with 1:26 left, Steele broke off a 58-yard touchdown run to move the Tigers ahead, 20-14. The Tigers would a Hornet fumble shortly before the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, May’s Harrell ran in a quick score from eight yards out to go up 28-14. On the ensuing Irion County drive, Morris would break off a near touchdown, only to be called out of bounds at the two-yard line. Posey would finish the drive and Henderson would add the extra points with a kick to make the score 28-22 with 7:11 left in the half.

May and Irion County would trade of scoring with the Tiger’s Steele scoring on a seven-yard run with 5:25 left, the Hornet’s Morris with a 14-yard run with 3:55 left, then May would double up on scoring with a 60-yard pass from Steele to Harrell and a three-yard touchdown pass from Dail to Lusk with 3:37 and 1:56 left in the half respectively. That would make the score 52-36 with the Tigers up.

Then, with 16 seconds left in the half with May driving the ball, the Tigers would pitch the ball back to Steele who would have trouble gaining control of it. So much so that Morris had enough time to get around the outside edge and snag the fumble and return it for a Hornet’s touchdown 70-yards. With that, the Hornets were right back in the game down eight, 52-44.

That would take the game to the half.

Just after halftime, 22 seconds to be exact, May’s Harrell found Steele for a 66-yard touchdown pass to go up 60-44. The Hornets would get the ball but could not find the endzone and the Tigers ended up with possession yet again. With 5:16 left in the third quarter, Steele tossed the ball to Ryland Billadeau for a 47-yard touchdown. Now, the Tigers were up 68-44 and the Hornets needed a spark. For that, they turned again to Wyatt Morris.

On fourth down with their backs against the endzone, Davis hit Morris with a beautiful pass and Morris took the ball 71-yards for a touchdown. Henderson kicked a successful extra point attempt and the Hornets cut the Tiger’s lead, 68-52.

It wouldn’t be long before May found the goal line again with an 18-yard rushing touchdown from Mikey Scheriger to extend the Tiger’s lead 76-52. With 1:22 left in the third quarter, it was Morris who busted out for a 59-yard touchdown the other way to again cut into the Tiger’s lead, 76-58.

Then, with 39 seconds left in the third quarter, Steele again found paydirt by bashing in a two-yard score. The Hornets opened up the fourth quarter down, 26, 84-58.

The final quarter did not have a touchdown until the Hornet’s Posey slammed one in from three yards out. The Hornets were now down 20, 84-64. It seemed fate would possibly be on the Hornet’s side because on the next Tiger drive and on first down, Irion County’s Major Conner forced May’s Harrell to fumble the ball, which was recovered by Irion County’s Davis.

The Hornet’s took advantage of the turnover and on second down with 5:40 left in the game, after just scoring 15 seconds earlier, Davis took the quick snap, tossed it back to Morris who threw it to Henderson down the field for the 33-yard touchdown. A penalty moved the point after attempt back, so the Hornets attempted a pass but failed to connect. Now, the Hornets are down 14 points, 84-70.

May swung things back in their favor when Steele found the endzone from nine yards out with 1:46 left in the game to extend the score to 92-70.

On the last Hornet drive, Morris found Posey for a big gain but did not have enough time to change the score and the Tigers beat the Hornets, 92-70.