Joseph City evened their season record at 2-2 with a 48-44 home field win over Fort Thomas on Thursday night. The team overcame a sluggish first half with a 2-point halftime lead to put 34 points on the board in the second half.
The first half saw the Cats struggle to find their rhythm, allowing Fort Thomas to hold all the momentum going into the break. Head Coach Martin Roes pushed all the right buttons in his halftime talk because the team hit the third quarter with the fire they had been missing.
Defensively, linebackers Benson Moss and Tytan Penrod led a defense that became a brick wall, forcing multiple three-and-outs by the Apaches. With the defense doing its job, the offense got in gear as well. Junior wide receiver J.D. Miller was electrifying. He connected with quarterback Kase Fish for a pair of long touchdown passes. Fish’s scrambling ability kept Fort Thomas on their heels as well. Miller added a pick-six 6, which was crucial to the team’s win.
Fort Thomas mounted one final drive, but the Wildcats’ defense was up to the challenge, forcing a turnover on downs to seal the victory.
“I’ve never been prouder of a group of guys. They showed incredible character and heart. We finally learned how to stay mentally tough and hold on to win a close game,” stated Coach Roes.
Players who stood out in the win were defensive end Charles Gardener and nose tackle Kameron Brooks, with both having several tackles for loss. Kaden Gardner recorded his first pancake block. Kyan Larsen also scored a touchdown to go along with a stellar night on defense.
This victory sends a clear message heading into region play that Joseph City is a team that should never be counted out.
This week, they will have a chance to build on that momentum when they open region play at home vs visiting El Capitan. The Eagles have yet to play a game this year. They only have six games on their schedule and forfeited their first one on Aug. 22, to Bagdad. So Friday’s game in Joseph City will be their first live action of the season.
