Published: August 29, 2008 02:28 am            

Taking control: Tigers, Young top Wranglers 14-3 in season opener

(with Five Key Moments, box score)

MESQUITE — The Tigers prepared for three weeks for West Mesquite, from putting in a game plan to physically getting ready to play on a hot, humid night.

You'd have to say all the hard work paid off.

The Tigers pushed around the Wranglers, and scored just enough points in a 14-3 victory in the season opener for both teams Thursday night before 3,000 fans at Mesquite Memorial Stadium.

This was not the high scoring affairs of the past two years that saw both teams go over 30 points. The Tigers came in with a game plan to pound the ball and control the clock. They also noticed on film that West Mesquite's safeties left the middle of the field open, and the Tigers exploited that on just about every big play they had.

Cameron Young, starting his first varsity game at quarterback, played with the poise of a four-year starter. A brand new offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage. The Tigers' defense never let West Mesquite get to the edge, as Martin Davis and Tremaigne Dickson in particular had standout games.

For a first game, this went about as well as can be expected.

"We should enjoy it," Tigers coach Dave Henigan said. "The players bought into everything we said. They've done everything we asked. It's one non-district win. We need to enjoy it and start getting ready tomorrow for the next one."

The Tigers took control of the game after West Mesquite quarterback Trevone Boykin got injured on a fumbled snap on second-and-goal deep in Corsicana territory. The Wranglers had to settle for a field goal and a 3-0 lead with 7:13 left in the first quarter.

The Tigers would have controlled this game even if Boykin stayed in the game. On the Wranglers' next series, the Tigers' defense forced a three-and-out, and Young and the offense, which came out shaky early, finally started to move the ball.

Young completed passes of 15 yards to Andy Means and 10 yards to Dickson. Then the Tigers converted a key fourth-down conversion after Henigan called a timeout. The Tigers took advantage of the middle of the field for the second time in the game as Young found Means for a 17-yard completion.

"We had seen that their safeties were playing wide all week," Young said. "Andy did a good job of finding a spot in the defense. He knew how many yards we needed and he found the chains."

Four plays later Young hooked up with Davis, the sophomore, in the corner of the end zone to give the Tigers the lead for good at 7-3 with 4:24 in the first quarter.

Young led another touchdown drive the next time the Tigers got the ball. JaVonti Hines had 25-yard run to start the drive. He also finished the drive.

Hines lined in the slot and ran a post on third-and-seven at the West

Mesquite and Young zipped the ball into him. Young said

Hines had the speed to get behind the secondary. Hines scored on a 20-yard reception for a 14-3 lead with 40 seconds left in the first half.

Young was sound in the first half, completing 7 of 11 passes for 76 yards. He had two passes dropped in the half.

"We came out a little jittery but we really settled down," Young said.

The Tigers forced three turnovers in the second half, and even though they didn't score any more points, they were able to physically control the game, especially on defense. Corsicana also blocked a field goal in the second half.

"We have as much team speed on defense as we've had here in awhile," Henigan said. "We have some fast guys."

Henigan said he was proud of the way his offensive dominated the line of scrimmage.

"We tried to wear them down," Henigan said. "We accomplished that."



xxx



FIVE KEY MOMENTS



1. West Mesquite QB gets hurt (1st Q, 8:00 left): West Mesquite

starting quarterback Trevone Boykin falls down on a fumbled snap and

breaks his ankle when Corsicana's Arsenio Cole falls on him trying to

recover the loose ball. Boykin leaves the game and West Mesquite has

four fumbled snaps out of the shotgun in the first quarter, wasting

good field position.



2. Tigers convert of fourth down (2nd Q, 6:00 left): Tigers coach Dave

Henigan calls a timeout with the Tigers facing a fourth-and-eight at

the West Mesquite 31. A young Wranglers secondary has been vulnerable

in the middle of the field, so Henigan goes right back there as

quarterback Cameron Young hooks up with Andy Means for a 17-yard gain.

Young throws a touchdown pass to Martin Davis later to give the Tigers

the lead at 7-3.



3. Young throws second TD pass (2nd Q, :40 left): On third-and-seven,

Young goes over the middle again, this time to tailback JaVonti Hines,

who had lined up in the backfield. Hines gets wide open in the

secondary for an easy 20-yard touchdown reception. Young finishes off a

great first half, going 7 for 11 for 76 yards and two touchdowns.



4. Waites recovers fumble (4th Q, 7:59 left): The Tigers inexplicably

gave up a 63-yard pass to give West Mesquite a chance to get back in

the game. But Wranglers quarterback Gary Bates fumbled another snap,

and Darrell Waites was there to pounce on the loose ball.



5. Tigers block field goal (4th Q, 4:18 left): Trailing 14-3, West

Mesquite tried a field goal with Justin Stout to make it a touchdown

game. But the kick was low and blocked by the Tigers, who survived a

wild pass attempt by Stout, who picked up the blocked kick behind the

line of scrimmage and threw an errant pass.



xxx



Corsicana 14,

West Mesquite 3

Corsicana 0 14 0 0 — 14

W. Mesquite 3 0 0 0 — 3



First Quarter

WM — Justin Stout 19 field goal

Second Quarter

C -- Martin Davis 3 pass from Cameron Young (Grant Gibson kick)

C -- JaVonti Hines 20 pass from Young (Gibson kick)



C WM

First downs 13 8

Rush-yards 41-106 28-29

Passing yards 97 92

C-A-I 9-13-0 5-18-2

Fumbles-lost 1-1 6-1

Punts-avg. 6-36.8 5-37

Penalties-yards 6-41 3-28



Individual

Rushing — C: JaVonti Hines 28-99, Cody Evans 7-5, Tremaigne Dickson 2-2, Cameron Young 4-0. WM: Jack Brown 5-37, Ryan Wright 5-36, Justin Limbrick 8-19, Trevone Boykin 2-8, Gary Bates 8-(-71).

Passing — C: Young 9-13-0-97. WM: Bokins 1-1-0-7, Bates 5-18-1.

Receiving — C: Andy Means 2-32, Matt Ward 2-21, Hines 1-20, Dickson 1-10, Cody Evans 1-8, Chris Humphries 1-3, Martin Davis 1-3. WM: Cornell Ridge 1-63, Steven Martinez 3-24, Brandon Boulware 1-5.

        

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