Freshmen earn tough victory, 34-20

Trailing 20-14 at the half, the Whitehouse freshman football team faced a stiff challenge on the road but came out with an impressive second half performance to post a 34-20 win against Pine Tree last week.

After the defense opened the game with a solid three and out, the offense went to work on the ground to post the game's first points.

Shundrick Beasley was the work horse on the scoring drive hitting on runs of 15 and 12 yards before galloping 43 yards for the score, and with Johnathan Parker's PAT, the Cats claimed an early 7-0 lead.

Pine Tree did not let the lead last long as they went 56 yards on a scoring drive, but a failed two-point conversion gave Whitehouse a slim 7-6 lead.

However, Pine Tree took the lead on Whitehouse's next possession as QB Conner Cashion made an ill-advised pass under pressure that was picked off and taken in 15 yards, and the Pirates took the lead 12-7.

On its next possession, Parker received a pass from Cashion down the seam to the Pirate 45, and then Beasley picked up yardage to the 25. After a holding call erased a Beasley TD run, Cashion found Logan Newton down the sideline for a 30-yard TD strike to give the Wildcats the lead back, 14-12.

The Pirates wasted little time getting the lead back as they scored on their next possession on a 52-yard screen play, and with the two-point conversion, they retook the lead 20-14.

Both teams exchanged interceptions late in the second quarter before the half.

The two defenses came out big to start the second half as Whitehouse was stopped on fourth down at its own 35, but then held Pine Tree on four downs as Matt Durst, Simon Webb, and Todd Martin led the defensive stand.

Beasley took a screen pass for a first down, and then Cashion hit Newton deep over the middle to the Pirate 27-yard line.

On the next play, Cashion went back to Newton who was single covered for the 27-yard TD pass, and with Parker's PAT, the Cats took the lead back at 21-20.

On the next Pine Tree possession, Durst knocked the ball loose on a run up the middle, and Cashion pounced on the fumble to put the Cats back in business at the Pirate 38.

Beasley got loose to the Pirate 8 before Cashion hit Newton on a slant route in the end zone for the score. The PAT was blocked, though, and the lead was now 27-20.

The defense continued to apply pressure on the Pirates and forced a fourth down punt.

The Cats were not done scoring as Cashion scrambled right and found Newton for his fourth TD of the game, this time from 20 yards out to make the final score 34-20.

The freshmen will face Hallsville on the road tonight with game time starting at 5:30 p.m.