Whitehouse defensive stand holds off Mavs

Photo/Jim Jackson Jermaine Kennedy hauls down the Marshall Maverick runner in Friday's win.

After winning close games at home over Pine Tree and Hallsville, the Whitehouse Wildcats were faced with the daunting task of sweeping their last three games over Henderson and Marshall on the road and then over Nacogdoches at home.

Well, the Whitehouse Wildcats have accomplished two of those tasks and now have one to go. The difference in the last two weeks has been attributed to several things, including a more physical and stingy defense and a more consistent passing attack.

However, the biggest difference has come from the HEART shown on the field the last two weeks as these Wildcats have stared down adversity, refused to lose finding a way to win, and in doing so, keeping the Wildcat fans on the edge of their seats with their stomachs tied in knots.

Headed into last week's game at Marshall, the Wildcats knew that a win was necessary in order to keep their hopes alive for a repeat of last year's district championship.

Photo/Jim Jackson Senior Cody Brown makes a nice defensive play for the Wildcats, tripping up the Marshall ballcarrier in Friday's win. Brown is among the Wildcat seniors who will be recognized at this week's home game with Nacogdoches.

Things looked bleak for the Wildcats as Marshall took the opening kickoff and scored to take an early 7-0 lead.

The two key plays came on third and nine and then on fourth and 21 conversions, the second moving the ball to the Whitehouse one-yard line after a sack by Seth Cashion set up the fourth down play.

The Wildcat offense wasted little time getting the score back as QB Brady Attaway hit Bart Henderson deep along the Maverick sidelines down to the Marshall 20 on Whitehouse's first play from scrimmage.

Two plays later, Attaway hit Henderson again for 17 yards, and the score and PAT from Taylor Burns tied the score at 7-7.

Marshall took its next possession and again went on the march completing another big third down play (3rd and 15) down to the Whitehouse 39 as the first period expired.

The Wildcat defense forced its first of five turnovers on the night as Cashion recovered a botched option pitch on the Whitehouse 26.

Chad Lewis started the offensive drive with one of the few big gains in the running game as he scampered 13 yards on first down. Attaway then hit Lesley Perdue down to the Maverick 24 and then a pass interference call moved the ball inside the 20.

From there, Attaway found Perdue again in the back of the end zone for an 18- yard score, and the Wildcats claimed their first lead of the night at 14-7 with 10:04 remaining in the second quarter.

Marshall came right back to tie things up at 14 all on a 50- yard scoring drive that ended with a one-yard QB sneak by Darius Jones.

After Whitehouse went three and out on offense, the Mavericks began another drive trying to regain the lead. However, after getting to the Whitehouse nine, Julian Broaddus recovered a fumble at the one-yard line.

After Attaway hit Asher Williams on a third and nine pass to the Whitehouse 26, the Wildcats faced its own misfortune as an Attaway pass intended for Perdue was picked off as Perdue slipped down making a cut on his route.

Marshall looked ready to take a seven-point lead into the half as they marched down to the Wildcat three, but the defense stood tall and forced a 29- yard field goal after a holding call against the Mavericks negated a touchdown. The kick gave the Mavericks a 17-14 lead headed into intermission.

The Wildcats got the lead back on their first possession of the second half on a 64-yard scoring drive that was capped off by a three-yard TD pass from Attaway to Cody Brown.

The drive was highlighted by a third down pass to Henderson on third and 18 that set up a four-yard run by Henderson on fourth down that moved the chains by the nose of the football.

The Mavericks trailed now 21-17 as its offense came onto the field for its first possession of the second half. Again, they drove the ball across midfield into Whitehouse territory.

Marshall then faced a third down and long at the Whitehouse 30 when the Wildcats brought a blitz, and Zach Hill and Brown hit Jones forcing the fumble.

Broaddus then scooped up the ball and raced 60 yards for the score, but the PAT was wide right. The Whitehouse lead was now 27-17 with 2:30 left in the third period.

On the next Maverick possession, Cashion knocked a pass loose before it was secured, and Brown took advantage by recovering the loose ball and turning it over to the offense at its own 35.

The Wildcats then hit the big play that could have been the knockout punch. As Attaway was forced from the pocket, he hit Heath Mayo who went deep. Mayo went the distance for a 64-yard score, but it was brought back on a penalty for an illegal lineman downfield.

The Mavericks then got the ball back and hit on its big play of the game as Jones broke through the Wildcat defense for 80 yards and the score, but Quincy Aldridge blocked the PAT, and the Wildcat lead stood at 27-23.

The Whitehouse defense continued to stand tall as Taylor Sulser led the fourth quarter charge with three of his game high ten tackles coming on the last two drives by the Mavericks.

Aldridge stopped one drive with an interception at the Wildcat 40-yard line. However, the Wildcats could not move the chains and run off enough time, which gave the Mavericks the ball back one final time at its own 20 with 5:08 left in the game.

Now things got very nerve racking as Marshall drove into Whitehouse territory. The Whitehouse defense stiffened forcing a fourth down and 17, but Jones got loose and scampered for what looked like the first down.

A penalty on a Marshall block in the back moved the ball to the Wildcat 24 for fourth down and six. Jones then threw into the end zone and Aldridge jumped up for the interception to seal the win, but another flag was thrown for pass interference.

The penalty came from the back judge claiming interference on Aldridge when it clearly looked as the freshman cornerback had not touched anyone on his way up to make the pick.

The penalty then gave Marshall a first and goal from the nine with 43 seconds left. Then the defense reached down deep to take what appeared to have been taken away from them.

On the first play, Brown darted through to stop the running back for a two-yard loss. On second down, Cashion and Sulser teamed up to stop Jones around the outside for a one-yard gain setting up a third and goal from the ten.

Two incomplete passes later, the Wildcats came away with a hard fought 27-23 win to stay alive in the race for the district title.

Even with the big road wins the last two weeks over Henderson and Marshall, the Wildcats need a win tomorrow night against Nacogdoches at Wildcat Stadium to secure a second consecutive playoff berth.

"This win was big in the race for the district title, but we have to win one more next week," stated an excited but drained Coach Randy McFarlin after the game.

"I was proud of how we prepared this week, and we played hard for four quarters and the defensive stand late was big," McFarlin said.

Now the Wildcats head into the home stretch of the District 12-4A race needing a win on senior night to get into post season. With all that is at stake and with another sell out crowd, it could be another memorable moment in Whitehouse football history.

	Score By Quarters
	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
WH	7	7	13	0	27
Mavs	7	10	0	6	23

Individual Statistics:

Rushing - Lewis 5-16, Attaway 1-8, Cashion 1-4

Receiving - Henderson 5- 110-1, Perdue 6-65-1, Brown 1- 4-1, Williams 6-54, Mayo 1-6

Passing - Attaway 20-28-237- 3