With light rain falling at Tiger Stadium, the Whitewright Tigers needed a big bounce back from last week’s tough loss at Trenton. The Tigers delivered on both sides of the ball with a 41-7 win over Rivercrest in district action.
“I thought we performed well in all three phases,” Whitewright head coach Charlie Roten said. “I was especially proud of our defense. We played really well on that side of the ball.”
Nolan Rigby had an outstanding game, carrying the ball 10 times for 125 yards and a touchdown. Nick Ulmer added seven carries for 29 yards and a touchdown.
Quarterback Peyton Smith went 6-of-14 passing for 68 yards and a touchdown while adding three carries for 14 yards and another score. Xander Hall had a 17-yard touchdown reception, Keelan Washington caught four passes for 37 yards and Drake Freeman added three carries for 40 yards.
One of the highlights of the night came when Tyler Latimer connected with Austin Baio on a flea-flicker for a 53-yard touchdown.
The Tigers were just as strong on the defensive side of the ball, holding the Rebels to 186 yards of total offense.
Ulmer came up with a key interception, while Baio recovered a Rivercrest fumble and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown.
Rivercrest (3-3, 0-2) managed just one touchdown against the Whitewright defense, with Tremain Norman hauling in a touchdown reception for the Rebels’ only points of the night.
The win moved Whitewright to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in district play.
Next week, the Tigers are on the road again, traveling to the “Sweetest Town in Texas” for a district matchup against Honey Grove on Friday night.
“It will be a big challenge, but our kids will be ready,” Roten said. “We need to play well again in all three phases and limit their explosive plays on defense.”
