For the first time this season, the East Webster football team trailed in the second half.
After Choctaw County scored to go up in the fourth quarter, East Webster football coach Ron Price was curious to see how his team was going to respond.
The Wolverines responded with a scoring drive of their own and used a stingy fourth-quarter defense to take a 23-20 win over Choctaw County on Friday night.
With the win, the Wolverines are 4-0 on the season and will travel to East Union this week.
Price said his players showed a lot of maturity and determination in getting their fourth win of the season.
“I’m super proud of our football team and coaching staff,” Price said. “It was a complete team effort. Choctaw came back and took the lead in the second half and that was the first time we have trailed in the second half this season. I was anxious to see how our kids were going to respond and we went right down the field and converted. The defense contained them the last eight minutes. It felt really good to see our team play like that and come away with the win.”
After each team punted to open the game, East Webster struck first as Steven Betts found a wide open Carter Flora for a 73-yard touchdown pass with 9:14 left in the first quarter. Parker Burleson booted the PAT and East Webster led 7-0.
After the teams traded punts again, Choctaw drove 95 arcs in four plays. After a big 50-yard run, quarterback Tylan Carter went 38 yards for a touchdown. The PAT was good and Choctaw tied the score at 7-7.
East Webster pinned Choctaw at their own 4 on a Burleson punt. Seven plays later, Choctaw County snapped the ball over Carter’s head for an East Webster safety as the Wolverines led 9-7.
“Parker was huge for us,” Price said. “He may have been the MVP of the game. Three out of four kids were in the end zone and he pinned them inside the 20 several times punting or flipped the field for us. It was huge for them to have to go the distance of the field, especially in the fourth quarter.”
Choctaw took back the lead as they blocked a Burleson field goal attempt late in the second quarter. Choctaw then went 54 yards in seven plays as the Chargers scored on a 16-yard run with 2:43 left in the first half. The PAT was good and Choctaw led 14-9.
East Webster got a late gift when Burleson pinned the Chargers at their own 10. Choctaw fumbled and gave the Wolverines the ball. Two plays later, Betts scored on a quarterback sneak. The try for two failed and East Webster led 15-14 at the half.
The Wolverines caught another break to start the third as Choctaw put together a 12-play drive but fumbled at the East Webster 7 to end the threat.
East Webster went nine plays and flipped the field again on a Burleson punt. This time, the Chargers went 76 yards in three plays. After a big 60-yard run by Carter, the Chargers scored on a 6-yard run early in the fourth quarter. The PAT failed and Choctaw led 20-15.
The Wolverines then responded with a six-play, 70-yard drive as Tyrik Pittman scored on a 22-yard run with 8:20 left in the game. Betts converted the two-point conversion and East led 23-20.
“We were fortunate when we needed something to go our way, it did,” Price said. “We tell the kids that if you keep doing what’s right and playing hard, you will be in position when you need to be. We didn’t play a perfect game and we have a lot to work on but it’s a lot easier to go back to work after a win. You can just see our kids getting more confidence.”
East Webster had 341 yards of total offense with 189 rushing and 152 passing. Betts was 7-of-16 passing for 152 yards. Flora had two catches for 96 yards while Gray McCarter had three catches for 47 yards. Betts had 110 yards rushing on 16 carries while Pittman had 70 yards rushing on nine carries.
