DEFENSE, NIETERT GOLDEN IN WIN OVER PARIS

On a gold jersey christening night, a stingy Bearcat defense allowed no first half yards and finished with five quarterback sacks, and a backup quarterback led five straight scoring drives to start the game.

The result was the Booneville Bearcats completed their nonconference slate a perfect 3-0 with a 35-9 win in Paris Friday night, marking the 50th time a Bearcat team has beaten the north Logan County in a series that dates back to 1922.

It had started with Paris winning the coin toss and deferring.

Rhett Nietert had a short kickoff return then took over under center as Jace Washburn, who played only a few snaps in the second half last week, was not in uniform.

When Nietert (shown, 10) took his seventh snap it was 7-0. Hunter Warren converted a third down, Nietert ran for 14 another first down, and Conner Lentz went 33 yards for his first of three touchdowns.

Oliver Loaeza added the first of five straight point after kicks.

Paris managed a first down on a penalty – the Bearcats were penalized 90 yards in the first half – before a sack by Damari Poole, his first of two, induced a punt to end their first possession.

Nietert connected with Dylan Todd for 40 yards on one play and the Bearcats needed just five plays and 2:58 to go 91 yards after the punt to make it 14-0.

Lentz scored his second touchdown on a run of 35 yards. The junior would lead the Bearcats with 97 yards on nine carries.

Paris started the ensuing possession at the Bearcat 29 after a 31-yard kickoff return and a 15-yard facemask flag.

A sack by Warren and Aiden Fox and three rushing plays – the third and fourth down runs were stuffed by Seth Wilson – ended the threat, and the Bearcats would score again after the quarter break.

Lentz ran for 18 that, along with a horse collar tackle flag, converted a third-and-23. Todd, who ran for 86 yards on five carries, followed that up with 21 yards, and Poole added 18 to get the ball to the 13.

Three more runs by Poole, who had 57 yards on seven carries, made it 21-0 with 8:54 to play in the first half.

Paris’ next possession saw sacks by Poole and Wilson on successive plays and the Bearcats had the ball back.

Nietert promptly threw to Lentz for 27 yards and seven plays later Lentz scored from the 2 to make it 28-0.

A Wilson tackle and two incomplete passes brought on the Paris punt team back onto the field after which the Bearcats, as assistant coach Chad Simpson informed the unit taking the field, had 2:05 and a time out.

They were 67 yards away from being able to enact the sportsmanship – mercy – rule.

With Todd getting loose for 59 yards on the next play the Bearcats would end up giving the Eagles the ball back with 90 seconds to go in the half.

Poole got his second touchdown of the night on a 4-yard run for a 35-0 lead.

Although there would be some different gold jerseys on the field, the defensive intensity of the first half saw little change.

Sporting the number 50 in the 50th win over Paris, Landon Bowman was a big part of that, recording six total tackles with a sack in the second half. William Green also had five tackles.

The offense, however, was not as crisp, fumbling twice and suffering a safety after three straight Paris possessions ended in a turnover on downs and two punts.

The only touchdown the Bearcat defense allowed came with just over three minutes to play on a 2-yard drive that took two plays and followed a 55-yard fumble return and a touchdown saving tackle by Chase Shelton.

The Bearcats are open this week before starting Conference 3A-1 play against Cedarville (1-2) on September 27 in a game that will be the Homecoming game for the Bearcats.