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Defense played a huge factor as they beat the Globe Tigers 8-6 to start the season 2-0.
The game began with the Bearcats electing to receive the opening kickoff, starting from their own 20-yard line. The Tiger defense held the Bearcats offense to a three and out on their first possession forcing the Bearcats to punt the ball away.
As the Bearcat defense wailed to take the field, the Tigers punt team made a costly mistake. The Tigers punt returner fumbled the ball, giving the Bearcats good field possession on the Tiger 45-yard line.
On the first play of the drive Bearcat Quarterback Cole Yocum scrambled 35 yards to the Tiger 10-yard line to give them a first and goal. On second and goal, running back Bobby Mesa took the handoff by Yocum and charged for the end zone.
When he came to the goal line the ball came loose and was recovered by Yocum in the end zone for a Bearcat touchdown. The Bearcats added the two point conversion when Yocum connected with Jordan Pace in the end zone to give the Bearcats an 8-0 lead with 3:15 left in the first quarter.
After a punt by the Tigers, the Bearcats started the second quarter from their own 30-yard line. Bearcat running backs Pace and Paul Michael Wormwood led a 45-yard drive to the Tiger 25-yard line.
The Tiger defense adjusted as they put an end to the drive holding the Bearcats on four straight plays forcing the Bearcats to turn the ball over on downs.
With the Tigers taking over from their own 25-yard line the Bearcat defense kept them from moving the chains and they forced the Tigers to punt after four plays.
With time winding down in the half, Bearcat Wormwood received the handoff and ran down to the Tiger 2-yard line. With just 1:00 left in the half and with two big runs by Pace and Wormwood, the Tiger defense came up with yet another stop to keep the score 8-0 heading into the half.
The half would start with the Tigers taking the second half kickoff and keeping the ball the entire third quarter going 64 yards in eight minutes to the Bearcats 1-yard line and they began the final quarter of play.
On the first play of the fourth quarter the Tigers got on the board on a 1-yard touchdown run to put them down with the two point attempt awaiting. On the two point try, the Bearcat defense c stopped the Tigers holding a 8-6 lead with 7:55 left in the game.
On the kickoff Bearcat Yocum returned the ball to 40-yard line. The coach’s gamble on the fourth down paid off when Mesa took the handoff for a Bearcat first down. With the Bearcats marching down the field into Tiger territory with 3:00 left in the game the Tiger defense came up big forcing a turnover stripping the ball out of running back Wormwoods hands.
With 2:20 left in the game the Tigers put themselves in a good position to take the lead and possibly a win. The Tigers unable to move the ball on their first three tries faced a huge forth down with 1:25 left in the game.
On the fourth down, Bearcat defender Yocum came up with a big tackle to keep the Tiger receiver from getting a first down. The Bearcats offense took the field after the turnover on downs when quarterback Yocum took a knee on two plays to run the clock out and claim the 8-6 victory.
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