By MICHAEL MURRAY

MONTEZUMA – The Schley County Wildcats hit the road for Montezuma on Oct. 13 to face off against Region 4-A opponents, the Macon County Bulldogs. After a hard-fought battle, the Wildcats suffered a 34-27 defeat at the hands of the hosts.
With the loss, the Wildcats’ overall record drops to 4-3 on the 2017 season. The team’s Region 4-A record currently stands at 2-2.
The Wildcats put up a pretty strong fight against the Bulldogs, matching the hosts point-for-point in every quarter of the game except for the third, in which the Macon County crew added the seven points that would, eventually, win them the game.
Each team scored seven points in the first frame, 13 points in the second quarter, and seven more in the fourth. Macon County added a touchdown in the third stanza to secure the win.
Schley County’s James Baker broke the plane twice in the match while Zykievious Walker and Calvin Sims each scored one touchdown. Schley place kicker, William Blackwell, added a field goal and three successful PATs to contribute six more points for the Wildcat cause.
Several members of the Schley squad excelled in the match, with Sims leading the way for the ‘Cats’ ground game with 182 yards covered on 24 carries. Baker added another 60 rushing yards on 15 totes and Tra Sampson tacked on 25 yards on 11 carries.
Schley quarterback, Garrett Peavey, connected on four passing attempts, with Walker on the receiving end of two to lead the team with 45 yards through the air. Ja’Myron Clayton covered 22 yards on his sole catch of the game and Derric Tatum pulled down the final pass.
In total, the Wildcats racked up 327 all-purpose yards.
On the other side of the ball, Dartavious Napper set the pace for the Wildcats’ defense with three solo tackles and four assists. Walker and Clayton both soloed three tackles of their own and each assisted on a pair. Baker, Trent Bivins, Sampson, and Wade Rodgers each contributed two solo tackles.
The Wildcats will hit the road for Roberta on Oct. 20 to defend their record in a Region 4-A tilt against the Crawford County Eagles.