The Joseph City Wildcats didn’t get the start to the season they were hoping for, falling to Duncan 42-30 last Friday night at home. Joseph City trailed by just two with three minutes left in the first half, but the visiting Wildkats ran off four unanswered scores in the second and third quarters to give them a 42-14 lead midway through the final period.
Duncan opened the scoring on a nine-yard touchdown run with 2:32 left in the first to take an 8-0 lead. Just one minute later Joseph City matched that score with a 53-yard scoring run by Chance Bray. Landon Baldwin’s conversion run knotted the game at 8-8.
Early in the second the visitors went back on top with a 12-yard run to lead 16-8. Bray again pulled the hometown Cats closer with a 12-yard touchdown run. With the failed conversion run Joseph City trailed 16-14. Duncan scored with 2:15 left in the half on a four-yard run, then with only 10 seconds remaining until the half the Kats scored again to secure a 28-14 halftime lead.
Near the end of the third period Duncan picked up the scoring with a 43-yard run, pushing the margin to 34-14. The Wildkats scored their final points with 7:14 left in the game on an eight-yard run, pushing their lead to 42-14.
Bray returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a score and Hayden Hendricks connected with Koby Smith for the conversion, making the score 42-22. On the final play of the game Hendricks found Smith for a 10-yard scoring strike. Bray’s point after run made the final score 42-30.
Joseph City finished with 282 yards of total offense while giving up 427 to Duncan. Hendricks completed 10 of 20 passes for 150 yards with one score. Baldwin caught three for 75 yards. Bray had three grabs for 54 yards, Smith caught two for 16 and Matt Fields had two receptions for five yards.
Bray led the rushing attack with 12 runs for 117 yards. Troy Poudrier picked up 25 yards on four runs. Baldwin carried 11 times for 19 yards.
Poudrier led the defense with 10.5 tackles. Smith helped with 10 tackles. Bray and Baldwin each made 7.5 tackles.
The Wildcats hope to turn things around when they travel to the Valley tonight (Sept. 5) to face Glendale Prep Academy.
