Football Recap: Tuscola Gets the Win

The Tuscola Mountaineers slipped by the Cherokee Braves 36-35 on Friday.

Tuscola found their leader in sophomore Sam Trantham, who rushed for 176 yards and three scores while picking up 8.8 yards per carry. Trantham really tore up the turf during one magnificent 71-yard run. Tuscola also got help from Isaiah Hyatt, who showed off his sure hands for 115 receiving yards.

Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Tuscola proved: they limited Cherokee to a paltry 3.5 yards per carry. The team can thank Ty Walker for the heroic effort on defense: he. Tuscola didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 5.5.

Tuscola didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Elijah Pruitt. Another thorn in Cherokee's side was Walker, who made 14 total tackles (2.0 for loss).

Cherokee's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Javan Garcia, who picked up 134 receiving yards and a pair of TDs, and also punched in one touchdown on the ground. Kingston Welch was another key back, rushing for 123 yards and one score.

The victory got Tuscola back to even at 1-1. As for Cherokee, their loss dropped their record down to an identical 1-1.

Tuscola wasted no time getting back out on the field and has already played their next match, a 42-6 win against South Caldwell on the 5th. As for Cherokee, they have also already played their next contest, a 47-7 defeat against Choctaw Central on the 5th.