By Stan Beall
The Star Herald
ETHEL —
The Ethel Tigers traveled to Sebastopol last Friday night in their final game of the season and lost 42-14 to the Bobcats.
The Tigers finished the season 2-9 overall and 0-8 in region play.
The Bobcats scored the only points in the first quarter on a three-yard run, PAT failed, to take a 6-0 lead with 2:16 left to play in the first quarter.
The Tigers answered with 9:02 remaining in the second quarter when Bobby Potts found Markei Johnson from 17 yards out, Antez Hopkins two-point run, to pull ahead of the Bobcats 8-6.
Less than a minute later, the Bobcats regained the lead on a 32-yard touchdown pass of their own, two-point run good, to take a 14-8 lead.
The Bobcats added to their lead on a five-yard, PAT failed, to take a 20-6 lead into the half.
The Bobcats found pay dirt once again in the third on a 13-yard run, two-point run good, to increase their lead to 28-6 with 4:57 remaining.
The Tigers struck back with 1:28 remaining in the third when Potts ran one in on a keeper, PAT failed, to cut into the Bobcat lead, 28-12.
It was all Bobcats from that point on.
The Tigers would not score again, but the Bobcats were able to tack on two more scores to increase their margin of victory to 42-12.
“We missed some opportunities early and turnovers hurt us, we just didn’t answer,” said Tiger head coach Paul A. Dees.
Offensively the Tigers were led by quarterback Bobby Potts who was 9-17 through the air for 136 yards and a touchdown and had 10 yards on 10 carries as well.
Antez Hopkins had 87 yards on the ground on 12 carries; Markei Johnson had 41 yards on seven carries while Daquan Mallet had 20 yards on three carries.
Johnson led all receivers with 94 yards on six catches and a touchdown while Justin Self caught three for 42 yards.
Self led all defenders with six tackles, Potts and Isaiah Miller had five each while Ashlen McCain and Ethan Hunt had four stops apiece.
Cossie Veasley added a sack to go along with his three tackles.
In reference to the seniors coach Dees added, “They started in junior high the year I started at Ethel, they are just a good group of guys who worked really hard, they’re going to be missed.”
