The Whitney Wildcats made a statement in their season opener, cruising past the Mart Panthers 63-34 in an action-packed game at Wildcat Stadium. With explosive touchdowns and key defensive plays, Whitney dominated the second half to claim a decisive victory.
Facing Mart, a preseason Top 15 team in the 2A classification, the Wildcats carried momentum from a deep playoff run last season.
With 17 returning seniors, they came into 2025 with high expectations. Just like in 2024, Whitney started the season with a big win over Mart.
The game opened with both teams exchanging blows, but Whitney quickly seized control, thanks to sophomore quarterback Fisher Watson. In his first varsity start at quarterback, Watson rushed for three touchdowns and threw for three more, all to standout playmaker Kobe Haynes, who was a constant threat downfield.
After Mart took an early lead with a rushing touchdown, Watson responded with a 70-yard touchdown pass to Haynes. Mart quickly regained the lead at 14-12, but Watson answered again, this time connecting with Haynes for a 38-yard touchdown, flipping the score to 18-14 in favor of the Wildcats.
As the first half unfolded, the teams traded scores, but Whitney’s offense remained unstoppable. A long run by Jontae Johnson set up another rushing touchdown from Watson to extend the Wildcats’ lead to 24-14. Mart answered with two passing touchdowns, but an intercepted pass late in the half set up a Wildcat score from Delvion Walter and gave Whitney a 32-26 lead at halftime.
The second half was all Whitney. The Wildcats piled on 31 points in the third quarter alone, with the defense forcing turnovers and Watson continuing to excel. After a quick fumble recovery, Johnson sprinted 70 yards for a touchdown. Following a Mart punt, Watson connected with Haynes again for another long score, fueling a defensive surge that led to another turnover.
Walter capped off the quarter with a rushing touchdown, followed by a 70-yard punt return for another score. Watson added one final touchdown to close out the third quarter, leaving Mart with a daunting 63-26 deficit heading into the fourth.
Mart managed one last touchdown, but it was too little, too late. With an explosive performance built on big plays and forced turnovers, Whitney proved they are ready to compete at a high level in 2025.
The Wildcats will continue their season this Thursday as they travel to Benbrook for their next matchup.
Player of the Game: Fisher Watson – The sophomore quarterback delivered an impressive performance with six total touchdowns (three rushing, three passing) in his varsity debut.
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