By MICHAEL MURRAY
michael.murray@americustimesrecorder.com

GREENVILLE – The Schley County Wildcats saw another tough Friday night on the gridiron on Sept. 11, traveing to Greenville to open region 4-A play against the Grenville Patriots. The Patriots traditionally bring stiff competition to the field when facing the Wildcats and this match was no exception, as the Wildcats suffered a 44-6 loss at the hands of the host team.
The Patriots came out fighting from the kickoff, posting 12 points in the first quarter of the match to give them a cushion that they would hang onto throughout the game. The Wildcats Saw their chance to answer in the second quarter, avoiding a shutout when Glen Pilcher broke through Greenville’s defenses to score an initial six for the visiting team. Despite logging a respectable 239 all-purpose yards during the game, the Wildcats would not manage to push the ball into the end zone for the remainder of the contest.
Sophomore, Alec Harris, was the main ball handler for the Wildcats, with 18 carries that netted the team 49 yards. Junior, Tyree Hawkins, added another 37 yards on three attempts, while Calvin Sims tacked on another 30 yards on 10 carries. Pilcher and sophomore, Derric Tatum, rounded out the Wildcats’ running game, adding 14 and 12 yards, respectively.
Freshmen, Dartavious Napper and Daniel Reese, paced the Wildcats’ defenders, each contributing four solo tackles and three assists. Junior, Jake hall and Harris gained three solo stops apiece, with Harris adding four assists.
Freshman, Richard Quinoz, junior Demarco Cross, and seniors, Corey Tanner and Clay Law each added two tackles to slow the Patriots’ progress through the match. Quiroz and Cross both made tackles in the backfield.
With the hard-fought loss leaving the Wildcats with an overall record of 0-2, the team is now preparing to make an attempt to break their short skid with a win over the Taylor County Vikings in Elaville on Sept. 18. Taylor County is currently 0-3 after taking a 21-7 beating by Hawkinsville on Friday. The Wildcats defeated the Vikings 33-27 in last season’s contest.
Schley’s gridiron players will then travel to Buena Vista on Sept. 25 to face the Marion County Eagles in a bitter rivalry match that is certain to deliver some of the hardest play that this season has seen so far from both teams.