WARREN RUNS FOR 301, 4 TOUCHDOWNS IN WIN OVER TIGERS

Running for 301 yards on 31 carries and scoring four touchdowns, Hunter Warren had an historic night Friday under the Bearcat Stadium lights.

The Bearcats (8-1, 5-1) needed every one of them to outlast Charleston 48-45 to position themselves for a two seed in the Class 3A state playoffs.

Warren accounted for 68 percent of the offensive production in a jailbreak night of both teams going up and down the field in quick fashion for a combined 887 yards.

Missing both starting running backs, as well as Damari Poole, who has been splitting time with Warren at fullback, Warren figured to get plenty of work.

After Charleston converted two third downs and opened the game with an eight play scoring drive, Warren would log carries on four of the first five Bearcat snaps.

Included was a 53-yard run and the touchdown carry from the 3. Oliver Loaeza added the point after to tie the game at 7-7 with 7:13 to play in the first quarter.

The second possession for the Tigers (5-4, 4-2) resulted in points – a 21-yard field goal to make it 10-7 – after a fourth down pass interference penalty moved the ball inside the 10 and made it first down.

Freshman Hayden Daniel returned the ensuing kickoff – he had four of those for 60 yards – 19 yards the Bearcats scored in two plays.

Warren got 50 and Jace Washburn scored from the 10 to make it 14-10 50 seconds before the quarter break.

The Bearcats would not trail again, but could never put a comfortable amount of distance between themselves and the Tigers.

Seth Wilson forced a fumble that cost the Tigers 13 yards on the final play of the first quarter and he sacked the Tiger quarterback two plays later to force the only punt of the first half.

Daniel returned the punt 11 yards and a six-play drive gave the Bearcats their biggest lead of the night at 21-10.

It was three carries by Warren and three by Washburn, including the 1-yard touchdown run with 8:45 to play in the first half.

Another Tiger touchdown pass capped just a five play drive cut the lead to 21-17 at the 6:41 mark of the second quarter, but the Bearcats saw that and answered with a three play drive.

Rhett Nietert, who did most of his work defensively with a team leading 12 tackles, picked up 30 yards on what would be his only carry of the night, Warren got 1, and then the freshman got loose.

A night after running for 80 yards in a conference title clinching win for the junior high Bearcats, Daniel rumbled 35 yards for a touchdown on his first senior high carry but a missed PAT kept it an even 10-point game at 27-17.

Daniel, who had plenty of company from the Thursday night ranks – Braxton Hubble had four tackles and Laythen Shaffer also logged several snaps in key moments – would finish with three carries for 81 yards.

A third touchdown pass, this one from 20 yards out, made it 27-24 and the Bearcats had 4:01 with which to work before the intermission.

The plan was to score, of course, but to use enough clock to have a two score lead at the half. It would not quite turn out like that.

The Bearcats would score, and were able to burn 2:55 of the clock, but Charleston answered with 17 seconds left in the half to make it 34-31.

The Bearcat score came after Dakota Mattson made a possession saving fumble recovery. Warren got the touchdown from the 3 on his fifth straight carry of the drive.

Daniel started the second half with a 33-yard run and Warren would convert a third-and-6 with a 13-yard carry to set up his third touchdown on a run of 3 yards and it was 41-31 just 1:42 into the second half.

Again Charleston answered though it was on a 1-yard run at the 4:56 mark of the quarter and it was 41-38.

Discounting the final 12 seconds of the first half, the Bearcats then had their only nonproductive possession of the night.

A fumble and a sack forced the only second half punt and Charleston had the ball at their 48 down just 3.

The Tigers kept the ball the rest of the quarter, and were at the Bearcat 13 coming out of the quarter when a snap found its way to the ground and into the hands of Warren for the game’s only turnover.

The Bearcats were then a little more methodical, taking 10 plays to move 88 yards. Warren got eight of the carries, including the touchdown from the 4 and it was 48-38 with 7:14 to play.

Yet again the Tigers answered, doing so in less than three minutes on another 1-yard run to make it 48-45.

After being offside on one onside kick attempt the Tigers tried again and Nietert recovered it at the Charleston 45.

Warren carried four straight downs for 21 yards and it was third-and-1 with 1:25 to play when the Bearcats took a time out.

The Bearcats had just seven third downs and converted five of them including this one Warren then ran for 3 yards pushing him to the 301-yard mark and ending any hope of Charleston getting the ball back.

The Tigers would use a time out but all that remained was for Washburn to take a knee twice to end it.

While the two seed in the playoffs is possible it is not assured as yet because the regular season finale is a Lavaca tam that is 4-2 in conference with losses to Mansfield and Charleston.