Tigers crown royalty, notch first win of 2017
By TONI WALKER
DAINGERFIELD – On the night when Daingerfield High School held their annual homecoming festivities, the Tigers played like royalty in a 38-7 rout of New Boston.
After quarterback Reggie Jeter was crowned King alongside Queen Monorra Sok, Jeter led his team into battle, looking for their first win of the season.
One of the Tigers’ few losses of the night came on the opening coin toss, which New Boston won, then deferred. The opening kickoff gave the Tigers the ball on their own 35 yard line, and Jeter went to work. Mixing in a healthy dose of passes along with a solid running game, the Tigers quickly marched 70 yards to open the scoring. The drive was capped by Jeter’s 10-yard run, which stretched out to break the plane of the goal line. Jeter’s score gave the Tigers a 6-0 lead, one that would never be threatened.
Jose Bello’s kickoff soared out of the end zone for a touchback, giving the Lions’ the ball on their own 25 yard line. Jeter, playing on defense, again came up big for the Tigers, intercepting a Lion pass and putting the Tigers 50 yards from pay dirt. Chris Castleberry made the Lions pay for the interception, finishing the drive off with a 17 yard rushing touchdown. Less than eight minutes into the game, the Tigers held a 13-0 lead.
The second quarter began with the Daingerfield defense once again coming up big. This time, Jaukari Woods picked off the Lions quarterback, giving the Tigers the ball on their own 15 yard line. The offense was unable to capitalize on that second turnover, giving the ball back on a lost fumble on the next play.
With a little over six minutes left in the first half, Jeter again made the play, this time launching a 53 yard that Tyrese Grant hauled in for another Tiger score. After a failed extra point attempt, the Tigers were up 19-0.
After forcing a New Boston punt, the Tigers saw an apparent score called back during the return due to a block in the back. Jeter and the Tiger offense wasted no time, taking less than a minute to score. Zaylon Jeter added his name to the box score, rushing for a six-yard touchdown near the end of the first half. Z. Jeter’s score gave the Tigers a 25-0 halftime lead.
Bello opened the second half with another booming kickoff. After the Tigers forced New Boston to punt from the 50 yard line, a fumbled hand off on their own five yard line led to the Lions’ only score of the night. This put the score at 25-7, and that would be the closest the Lions would get to the end zone for the rest of the game.
Daingerfield’s only score of the third quarter came on a 27 yard field goal off the foot of Bello. Bello would add 29 yard field goal in the fourth, running the score to 31-7 in favor of the Tigers.
Timmyon Broner finished the scoring for the Tigers, picking up a Lion fumble and returning it 40 yards for the touchdown. Bello’s extra point gave the Tigers their final advantage, 38-7, and sending the homecoming crowd home happy.
Jeter rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 94 yards and one score. Broner came up big on defense and special teams, recording 12 tackles, a sack, three tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery taken 45 yards for a TD, a punt return for 41 yards and a kickoff return for 47 yards.
Coach Mike Waldie was pleased with the team’s win while admitted there were still areas to work on.
“Like I told the team, we’re going to enjoy this victory tonight,” said Waldie, “and we are going to come back tomorrow and learn from our mistakes; we still didn’t play our best game tonight. I am proud of them; they’ve been through a gauntlet to get this win.”
Waldie and the Tigers will welcome the White Oak Roughnecks to Mickey Mayne Tiger Stadium on Sept. 22. They will then have their bye week prior to opening district action at Paul Pewitt on Oct. 6.
