Tigers comeback to beat Stone Memorial 21-13

Friday night the DCHS Tigers traveled to Crossville to take on a Stone Memorial Panthers team that had just the week before defeated bitter District 8 rival, Livingston Academy 6-5.  At halftime, it looked as though the Tigers would present a repeat of the Wildcat’s performance, as DeKalb trailed the Panthers, 7-6.

The Tiger cheerleaders helped build up their football team all night last Friday night.

Head Coach Steve Trapp would have none of it.

Trapp was able to inspire the Black and Gold during the break, challenging the team to take advantage of their opportunities and to take the fight directly to the Panthers. “Boys, we are going to run the ball more,” said Trapp.

Message received.

Running the ball 8 times on their opening drive of the second half, DeKalb would punch the ball in for a lead taking touchdown and never look back, going on to win the game 21-7.

Tiger quarterback, Steven Jennings went 16 for 23 for 192 yards and a touchdown, while adding 103 yards on the ground for Tigers in their win vs. Stone Memorial.

Freshman quarterback Steven Jennings continued to improve, showing much better decision making skills than in last week’s contest at Warren County.  Jennings was 16 of 23 for 192 yards and a touchdown passing in the contest, while adding another 103 yards on the ground for the Tigers.  Perhaps most impressively is that the freshman hasn’t given the ball away this season. “We have a young guy at quarterback and we are trying to control the game a little more,” said Trapp.  “But, in the coming weeks, we are going to start turning the reins loose more and more.   Everybody wants to call us a young inexperienced team.  However, we battle.”

Freshman kicker, Matthew Poss, is developing into a real weapon for the Tigers.

Indeed many of the Tigers’ other freshman have not only contributed, but have looked impressive thus far this season, but perhaps none more so than freshman kicker, Matthew Poss.  In a league that having a solid kicking option is a huge advantage, Poss accounted for the entire Tigers’ scoring in the first half, and was able to control field position for the Tigers all night long.

Proving that upper classmen were still very vital to the teams’ success, junior wide receiver, Aaron Patterson had a huge night receiving for the Tigers, scoring a touchdown and accounting for 131 of the Tigers’ team total of 192 passing yards in the contest.  Patterson has emerged as Jennings’ favorite receiver thus far in the season, as the tandem obviously grow more and more comfortable with each other on the field.

Luke Boss had 68 yards for the Tigers in their victory over Stone Memorial.

Fellow Junior Luke Boss also played a pivotal role in the Tigers’ win, coming up with multiple critical runs, especially in the second half, that either extended Tiger drives or seemingly pumped fuel into the Tigers veins at crucial times in the contest.  With co featured back, Devonte Milan still suffering from last week’s injury, Boss accounted from 68 of the Tigers’ 200 yards on the ground.

The defense did its part as well, practicing the “bend but don’t break” philosophy.

Rickey Spare had a great night for the Tigers in their win over Stone Memorial.

The Tigers held Stone Memorial to 300 total yards in the contest and less than 100 yards rushing.  Lance Ball recovered a fumble for the Tigers in the contest and the Tigers defense kept Panther quarterback, Austin Helton under duress all night long.

The Tigers got on the board first in the contest behind a Matthew Poss field goal on DeKalb’s first possession to give DeKalb the early lead, 3-0.

After the Panthers reached the end zone on their next possession to go up 7-3, Poss would add another trey for the Tigers two possessions later to narrow Stone Memorial’s lead to one, 7-6.

Senior lineman Eli Gill lays the wood to Panther running back, Justin Johnson Friday night.

However, Stone Memorial would get the ball back late in the second quarter and drive all the way to the Tigers’ 34 yard line before the drive stalled.  In what would become the game’s turning point, Tiger Lane Ball blocked his first ever field goal as time expired in the first half, sending the Tigers to the locker room with momentum clearly on their side.

Quarterback Steven Jennings and the Tigers would take advantage of that momentum on DeKalb’s first drive of the second half, marching 71 yards downfield on 12 plays, culminating in a Dustin Warner 9 yard touchdown scramble to put the Tigers up by 6, 13-7.

Wide receiver, Aaron Patterson had a huge night for the Tigers in their win over Stone Memorial Friday night.

Ball would force a Panther fumble in their next possession and the Tigers would continue their ride with momentum.  Six plays later, Jennings would find Aaron Patterson in the endzone to give the Tigers a 19-7 advantage.  Freshman Jayce Allen would convert the two point conversion attempt and give the Tigers  what would end up being the final points of the contest for either side, 21-7.

DeKalb will come home next week to begin a five game home stand for the Tigers beginning with hated district rival, Livingston Academy.  LA has had a rough start to the season thus far, losing to both Stone Memorial and White County.

Game time is 7:00.