Following an impressive victory against Mart to kick off the season, the Whitney Wildcats took the field at Wildcat Stadium Friday night with a game plan to keep the momentum alive in the home opener against the Benbrook Bobcats.
The team was hyped, the crowd was loud and the lights were bright, but Benbrook meant business and escaped with a 35-26 victory.
The loss was a solid learning experience for Whitney as Benbrook, a larger school in the 4A classification, boasted a balanced attack of speed and size.
Sitting at 1-1 on the season, Whitney must now quickly focus on the annual Hill County clash and face the rival Hillsboro Eagles. Hillsboro also stumbled in Week 2 with a 28 -20 loss against the Troy Trojans. The Eagles defeated McGregor in Week 1.
The anticipated showdown is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Wildcat Stadium. Both Whitney and Hillsboro have high hopes for winning seasons and playoff success, and the non-district, rivalry game is known for resulting in a spirited contest.
To handle Hillsboro, Whitney will need to shore its execution on offense, stop the big plays and plug the defensive gaps that Benbrook exposed.
The Bobcats tallied more than 500 total yards against the Wildcats, but the game was never out of reach.
The two teams went toe-to-toe from the get-go.
The Wildcats struck first with a dazzling 45-yard touchdown connection from Mason Seely to Jontae Johnson on the first play of the game.
The 6-0 advantage was immediately addressed as the Bobcats marched down the field to collect a rushing score and a 7-6 lead. Benbrook then forced a turnover on downs and went to the air for a 47-yard scoring strike to close out the first frame.
The Bobcats added another touchdown reception to stretch the score to 14-6, but Whitney responded immediately when speedster Kobe Haynes took the kickoff return to the house. Whitney completed the two-point conversion to knot the game at 14-14.
Both teams stepped up the intensity and missed scoring chances to close out the half. Whitney had a fourth-down touchdown completion negated due to a penalty. Then Benbrook traveled the length of the field only to hit a Wildcat roadblock on the goal line as the clock wound down.
Still thirsty for a score, Benbrook stormed out of the locker room, focused on the ground game and quickly found the end zone to start the third.
The Bobcat defense then kept the Wildcats at bay and put the ball back in the offense’s hands. Benbrook went to the air, but Whitney’s Jaxon Landrum was there to grab an interception. However, the tide reserved on the next play as the Wildcats attempted some backfield trickery that resulted in a Benbrook interception in Whitney territory.
Benbrook captured the momentum and found the end zone on the next drive for a 28-14 lead. Whitney closed out the third quarter with a blocked punt that fueled the hopes for a comeback.
A 25-yard rushing score from Delvion Walker shrunk the difference to 28-20, but Benbrook kept pushing and chewing up the clock. With just under six minutes left, the Bobcats converted a fourth down at the goal line for another score.
Down 35-20, Seely guided Whitney back down the field and tossed a touchdown to Hagan Landrum to put the pressure on Benbrook. The Bobcats responded by collecting a couple first downs that drained the remaining time and cemented the 35-26 win.
Player of The Game
This week’s player of the game is sophomore Kobe Haynes. Haynes excelled in all aspects of the game and raced to a touchdown on a kickoff return against Benbrook.
The Lakelander 