Ray Kinsland Stadium was the stage for a competitive and hard fought athletic performance between the Western Carolina War Eagles (1-3) and the Tri-state Wildcats (2-3) on Saturday, June 30. The extreme summer temperatures appeared to take its toll on both teams, but they battled through the harsh conditions and delivered the fans, excuse the saying, a barn burner.
This game, like the previous game, came down to the last few plays of regulation. The War Eagles defense continued to be a force to be reckoned with, giving up only its third earned touchdown of the season. Defensively, the War Eagles had five takeaways, led by Jeremy Watkins who recovered two fumbles, one of which he forced himself. Gang tackles and monstrous crowd pleasing hits kept the crowd enthused in the low scoring contest.
Offensively, the War Eagles continued their ground game and pick up another rushing touchdown with a Richard Jenkins quarterback sneak. Don Craig led the offensive rushing the ball, giving a highlight reel worthy run of 70 yards on one attempt. To finish the scoring for the War Eagles, Michael George threw his first touchdown pass of the year to Micah Swimmer for a 32 yard score.
The Wildcats points were picked up early in the game. Their defense put points on the board with an interception that was ran back for a touchdown in the first quarter. Their second score was on behalf of their rushing attack, which consisted of misdirection and reverse plays. At the end of the contest the Wildcats snuck away with the win, final score: 14-13.
The Western Carolina War Eagles related they would like to thank all of their sponsors, CCS, volunteers, vendors and all their fans that braved the extreme temperatures to support them. They would also like to thank Ray Kinsland for being the voice of the War Eagles and for volunteering his time and energy to do just that. Team sponsors include: Chad Cooper, Trificient Technologies and Sequoyah Fund.
– Western Carolina War Eagles
