Friday night’s playoff football game, the 129th in Bearcat history, featured a first in that there were two defensive touchdowns by the Bearcats in the 69-27 win over Quitman.
Quitman, the first opponent in school history that starts with a Q, was already down 42-20 when Hayden Daniel forced a fumble that Conner Droemer returned 66 yards for a touchdown in the first half.
The fumble return is the second longest in the playoffs, trailing only an 86-yard state title game return by Gary Simpson in 1986.
The sportsmanship clock was in effect on the second defensive score, which came from Devon Ritchie on a 61-yard interception return.
Ritchie is now one of 8 Bearcats with a playoff pick-6 and, like Droemer's fumble return, has the second longest in a playoff game with the longest being one of 83 yards by Kenny Kiersey in 1975.
The only time a Bearcat defense has scored twice in a playoff game was against Osceola in 2023 with a fumble recovery in the end zone and a safety.
The two touchdown game is the second of the year for the Bearcat defense and gives them five defensive scores this year, becoming only the fifth team with five or more defensive touchdowns. The last was in 2018.
BEARCAT DEFENSE HAD SCHOOL'S FIRST 2 TD PLAYOFF GAME FRIDAY
