SEVENTH GRADE BEARCATS OVERCOME SLOPPY START, BEAT GREENLAND

In a game that saw them turn the ball over three times in the first half, the Seventh Grade Bearcats and had two 100-yard rushers in a 24-0 win over Greenland Thursday at Bearcat Stadium.

Greenland started the game on offense and held onto the ball long enough for a simulated punt but the Bearcats (6-1, 4-0) would fumble on their first possession.

Cain Catlett and Aiden Akers combined for a fourth down stop after the turnover to get the Bearcats the ball back and Colt Whitehouse rumbled 53 yards for the first points of the day. A Jordan Day 2-point conversion made it 8-0.

Whitehouse would finish with 152 yards on nine carries.

Maverick Greene caused a fumble on a sack – Braxton Bearden recovered – to get the Bearcats the ball back at the Pirate 25-yard line.

That started a series of fumbles on three successive plays. After a Bearcat fumble, Whitehouse recovered a Pirate fumble and the ball was at the Pirate 19 at the end of the first quarter.

A third Bearcat lost fumble allowed Greenland to regain possession at their 2 but Bearden bulled his way through the line to tackler a ball carrier in the end zone for a safety to make it 10-0 with 4:36 left in the first half.

Bearden was one of the leading tacklers for the Bearcats with four solo stops.

With possession at their 30 following the safety the Bearcats got a 69-yard run from Whitehouse to make it 16-0 – the conversion try failed.

The Bearcats started the second half with Day running 58 yards for a touchdown and Hank Loftin adding a conversion run for a 24-0 lead.

Day had an even 100 yards on four carries.

Colten Simmons (shown) and Tuff Todd handled most of the carries the rest of the way though David Bik and Austin Stone also had attempts.

Bik did most of his damage on defense with seven total tackles, including a sack.

The Bearcats will be at West Fork next Thursday. The game will start at 5:30 p.m.