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Tigers take control over Neal
In the game Friday, Thomasville won the coin toss and with the weather conditions for the evening uncertain at best elected to receive. Neither team could get anything established on their first offensive series and exchanged punts. The Eagles' punt carried to the Thomasville four yard line forcing the Tigers to start their second possession in the shadow of their goal line. The Tigers didn't let the field position bother them however and drove 96 yards for their first touchdown of the evening. Alex Buford culminated the drive barreling in from six yards out to put Thomasville on top. Harrison Lewis added the extra-point and Thomasville led 7 - 0 with 5:27 remaining in the first quarter.
Although the Tigers seemed to be in control at that point, the Eagles got right back in the game on the ensuing kickoff when their deep back broke several tackles and raced 75 yards for a touchdown. The extra-point attempt failed but W. S. Neal had cut the Thomasville lead to 13 - 6 with :43 remaining in the first quarter.
The Tigers did manage to regain the lead before halftime when Roya Campbell scampered 22 yards for a touchdown with 3:42 left to play before intermission. Harrison Lewis was on the mark with the extrapoint and Thomasville was back on top 20 -13. That's the way it would remain for the balance of the period. The Eagles got the ball first in the second half but excellent coverage on the kickoff by the Tiger special teams' unit pinned the Eagles at their four yard line. From there the Tiger defense held them to only two yards in three downs forcing another punt. Following the punt, which the Tigers took in at the W. S. Neal 37 yard line, Thomasville appeared to be on the march again driving inside the Eagle ten. The drive stalled however forcing the Tigers to attempt a field goal. On one of the most athletic plays of the game an Eagle defender hurdled the center of the Thomasville line, blocked the kick, scooped the loose ball up and then dashed 86 yards for a touchdown. The extra-point was good and suddenly with less than four minutes of the second half gone the game was tied once again at 20 - 20. Thomasville took the lead again with 3:40 remaining in the third period when Daniel Rogers found Kenny Sanders alone in the end zone for a 2 yard touchdown pass. Harrison Lewis' extra-point was true and the Tigers led 27 - 20. The score came after the Tiger defense had forced a fumble at the Eagle 19 yard line. After the Thomasville defense shut down the W. S. Neal offense on their next series, the Tiger offense got cranked up again driving 75 yards for another score. Roya Campbell claimed the honors again weaving his way through the Eagle defense for a 31 yard touchdown. Lewis tacked on the extra-point and the Tigers led 34 - 20 with :48 yet to play in the third quarter. The fourth quarter belonged to the Tigers as the defense continued to stymie the Eagle offense while the Thomasville offense and special teams racked up points. The first score came with 3:31 left in the fourth quarter when a bad snap on a W. S. Neal punt resulted in a safety that increased the Thomasville lead to 36 - 20. Thomasville finished the scoring at the 3:16 mark of the fourth quarter when Roya Campbell rambled 45 yards for a touchdown on Thomasville's first play from scrimmage following the free kick. Lewis' extra-point attempt was wide making the final 42 - 20. Leading charge on the Thomasville defense that held the Eagles to seven first downs and only 119 yards of offense were: Katrell Watters with nine tackles, Jarrell Watters with eight tackles, Mitchell Cowan with six tackles and Roya Campbell with five tackles and a fumble recovery. Over on offense the Tiger rushing leaders were: James White with 140 yards on nine carries; Roya Campbell with 137 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries and Delvonte Harris with 92 yards on six carries. In the air Daniel Rogers was 6 for 14 for 79 yards and two touchdowns. On the receiving end of Rogers' aerials was: Tysean Thompson with four catches for 59 yards and one touchdown; Shed Simmons with one catch for 18 yards and Kenny Sanders win one catch for two yards and a touchdown. Looking back at the game Thomasville Coach Jack Hankins had several observations. "That was a pretty good football team we beat Friday," Hankins said. "They had a lot of their defensive starters back off the 2006 team that finished 10 - 2. I thought we did a good job rushing the ball and thought our offensive tackles blocked extremely well." He also had praise for his defense. "I was proud of the way our defense responded in the second half," the Tiger Skipper said. "We basically shut them down with their only points in the second half coming on a breakdown in the kicking game." As the Tigers prepared for this week's game, the Thomasville coaching staff focused a lot of their attention on tackling and special teams work especially in light of the fact that 14 of the Eagles points last week came on break downs in the kicking game and poor tackling in the kick coverage. "We can't afford to give points away on the kicking game," Jack Hankins said. The mistakes we made in those areas last week really hurt us and could be difference in a game down the road if we don't correct them." As for Thomasville's opponent this week, the Choctaw County Tigers will enter the game as a big underdog with a 0 - 4 record, creating a scenario that puts them in a position where they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. In the world of sports that constitutes a trap waiting to be sprung. Realizing that, Coach Hankins had a caution for his Tigers. "We need to stay focused on the getting better as a team and not take anything for granted,' Hankins said. "A good football team will come out and take care of business early. I hope that's what we will do."
The game between Thomasville and Choctaw County is scheduled for Friday, September 28, in Butler with kick off set for 7:00 PM.
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