Cardinals Tackle Tigerscots, 39-13

ATHENA, ORE. - Waits­burg Prescott faced its greatest adversity of the season against the Weston-McEwen TigerScots last Thursday, but the Cardinals erased its first halftime deficit of the season by putting on a sec­ond half football clinic en route to a comfortable, 39-13, victory.

It looked like it might be an easy game for the Cards early on.

On first possession, WP quarterback Sterling Eastman connected with receiver Chance Leroue for a 73-yard touch­down- the first of two long touchdown connections be­tween Eastman and his sopho­more wideout.

WP's second possession was well into Tigerscot territory when Eastman hooked up with Leroue again for what appeared to be a second score, but a hold­ing penalty negated the play. One play later, the TigerScots forced the Cardinals' first punt of the night.

Weston-McEwen's ensu­ing drive lasted only two plays. Starting at its own 12-yard line, TigerScot quarterback Eric Washburn ran for 16 yards on first down. The following play Washburn hit sophomore wide receiver Linton McAllister on a deep fly down the right sideline for a 72-yard score.

Both teams missed their extra points and the first quarter ended with the score knotted at 6-6.

The Tigerscots' first pos­session of the second quarter again started with a long field, the ball spotted at W-M's own five. This time it took the home team just four plays to traverse the 95-yard distance to the op­posite goal.

Most of the yardage came on Tyler Peterson runs of 62 and 31 yards-the 31-yard touch­down coming on an option pitch around the right side.

On their next possession, the Cardinals advanced the ball only 8 yards before punting-the third-straight possession with­out points, with the TigerScots seemingly able to score at will. Worry started to show on the faces of the WP faithful.

But WP's defense held on the Tigerscots' next possession, and with a bit more than 2 minutes remaining in half, WP mounted a drive starting at its own 22. An Eastman to Dalton Estes pass for 50 yards instantly put the Cards in business in TigerScot territory at the W-M 28. After an incom­plete pass, Eastman took the second down snap ahead for 10 yards. Estes rushed for 10 more on the following down, and then seven more the down after that to put WP on the doorstep at the Tigerscot one.

Estes finished the drive with a 1-yard dive with 1:33 left. Estes' 2-point conversion try up the middle failed, making the score, 31-12, Weston-McEwen heading into half.

WP owned the first posses­sion of the second half, but gave it away by means of a fumbled handoff just three plays in. The WP defense took the ball right back on the next play when Brendan Donovan intercepted a Washburn pass deflected by WP's Alex Dill.

After a first down sack re­sulted in a 17-yard loss for WP, Eastman redeemed himself by hitting Estes for a 31-yard gain, and three plays later, Leroue on a 56-yard touchdown catch and run up the left seam into the end zone, Leroue breaking three tackles along the way.

WP scored on its next pos­session as well. After an East­man to Roy Ebong 24-yard pass advanced the ball to the Weston- McEwen 34, the Cardinals turned to the ground game. Estes rushed on second down for 10 yards, followed one play later by a Billy Brown power run straight up the middle for 24 yards and a touchdown.

WP's defense forced the Ti- gerscots into three-and-outs on its next two possessions, but the WP offense couldn't capitalize. WP forced a fumble on the Ti- gerScots' possession after that, and WP recovered at the Tiger- Scot 10. One play later, Brown stood in the end zone with a second rushing touchdown, and the rout was officially on.

WP stopped the TigerScots one final time on three downs forcing a punt that Estes re- turned to Weston-McEwen's 7-yard line. Eastman capped a two-play, final scoring drive with a five-yard quarterback keeper for touchdown.

WP plays undefeated Tekoa- Oakesdale-Rosalia in Oakesdale on Friday at 7 p.m. T-O-R was a 32-27 winner on the road at previously unbeaten Tri-Cities Prep last Friday.