JOHN MIDDLETON
Sports Editor
The Evarts Wildcats capped one of the most dominant fifth- and sixth-grade football seasons in recent memory with a 24-0 victory over host Cumberland in the county championship on Saturday.
“I couldn’t be more proud of a group of boys. They work hard and they practice hard,” said Evarts coach Perry Steele. “I have been around this for a long time, and this is the hardest working group I have seen.”
Christian Jones opened the scoring for the Wildcats with a 72-yard run in the first quarter. Jarrett McKenzie ran in the two-point conversion to make it 8-0.
Evarts’ Dawson Caudill intercepted a Cumberland pass near midfield to end the Skins’ next possession.
McKenzie then broke free for a 14-yard run to Cumberland’s 2, before Jordan Steele closed the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run up the middle. McKenzie added the two-point conversion to push the lead to 16-0.
Josh Burkhart also intercepted a pass for the Wildcats.
Cumberland took up most of the third quarter, with a lengthy drive that moved the ball to the Wildcats’ 38. However, Brendan Osborne needed only three plays to put Evarts up by three scores.
Osborne carried the ball three straight times for 64 yards, capped by a 10-yard touchdown run with 6 seconds left in the period. Osborne ran in the two-point conversion to close the scoring.
“They are a good bunch of running backs, and they have done that all year long,” Steele said. “They run the football hard, and the line has blocked good.”
Evarts outscored opponents 311-44 on its way to an 11-0 season. The Wildcats’ defense didn’t give up more than one score in any game during the season.
“The first-team defense gave up 12 points all year. I am really proud of them,” Steele said.
Post a Comment
