BEARCATS COME UP SHORT ON FOURTH DOWNS FRIDAY

Although the Booneville Bearcats did not punt Friday night in Charleston, their 21-7 loss at Charleston was decided on fourth downs.

The Bearcats (5-4, 4-2 Conference 3A-1) were 5-of-8 on fourth down attempts with the three unsuccessful tries all in the red zone.

Down 7-0 after gifting the Tigers a short field due to a fumble, the Bearcats would move the chains on three straight do-or-die downs on the way to a game tying touchdown by Hayden Daniel and extra point by Oliver Loaeaza with 11:23 to go in the first half.

Hunter Warren was featured throughout the drive and would finish the night leading the Bearcats with 86 yards on 21 carries. Daniel (shown) ran for 41 yards on 9 carries.

The three Bearcat drives that would end in the red zone all came with the score 14-7 – Charleston got an 84-yard kickoff return touchdown after the game had been tied at 7-7.

The first turnover on downs occurred on a fourth-and-2 – an earlier fourth down during the drive was successful – at the Tiger 13-yard line with just 1:44 left in the first half.

Charleston got the ball to start the second half but sacks by Cutler Haller and Warren forced a Tiger punt.

The Bearcats, starting from their 12 after a penalty on the return then moved to the Tiger 2 – converting a fifth fourth down along the way – but could not get Rhett Nietert into the end zone on a fourth-and-goal.

Nietert would run 19 times for 55 yards as the Bearcats ran for 238 as a team.

Charleston was able to move away from their goal line but would again be forced to punt – the Bearcat defense allowed only 190 total yards – and the Bearcats had the ball 45 yards away from a potential tie with 11:11 to play in the game.

But, on a fourth-and-7 from the 21, Nietert was stopped a couple yards short with 6:30 to go.

Charleston then doubled its lead to 14 at 21-7 with 3:57 to play on a 57-yard pass play.

The Bearcats would turn the ball over on downs one more time, in their own territory, with 1:59 to play and Charleston ran out the clock.

The loss, coupled with a loss by Lavaca to Cedarville, positions the Bearcats into the 3A-1’s 3-seed from the 3A-1, which nets a first round home game against the 4-seed from Conference 3A-2 in the Class 3A playoffs beginning on November 14.