With the heat and humidity beating down on the turf, the Whitewright Tigers used a powerful running game to put away the Clarksville Tigers, 43-10, Friday night at Tiger Stadium.
Peyton Smith ran the offense efficiently and effectively with seven carries for 97 yards and three touchdowns. He also completed 4 of 7 passes for 71 yards with an interception.
Nick Ulmer added 43 yards and a touchdown on two carries, while Maddox Smart broke free for a 75-yard touchdown on his only carry of the night.
Nolan Rigby chipped in 29 yards and a touchdown on six carries, and Austin Baio added 27 yards on two attempts.
Whitewright coach Charlie Roten credited Smith and the offense with executing the game plan.
“I thought we did a great job of executing our offense,” Roten said. “Peyton did a great job of reading and reacting to what the Clarksville defense was doing.”
Whitewright’s success on the ground was aided by strong play from the offensive line, which helped create running lanes throughout the night. The Tigers piled up 271 rushing yards on just 18 carries, an average of better than 15 yards per attempt.
The passing game provided another 71 yards. Keelan Washington had a 29-yard reception, while Baio added a 14-yard catch.
The Tiger defense also turned in a solid performance, recovering after Clarksville broke a few big plays and holding the visitors to 10 points. Semaj Harris scored Clarksville’s lone touchdown.
The result gave Whitewright a convincing season-opening victory and plenty to build on as the Tigers prepare to hit the road for the first time this season.
“Each week has its own new challenges,” Roten said. “We will continue to work hard and get better each week.”
Whitewright will travel to face the Celeste Blue Devils (0-1, 0-0), who are coming off a 46-15 loss to Trenton in their season opener.
Kickoff in Celeste is set for 7 p.m.
