The Battle of Highway 11 has always been a great rivalry between Whitewright and Tom Bean, and this year’s game was no exception. The Tomcats came out on top with a 40-22 victory over the Tigers in a game that had big implications for the District 9-2A Division I playoff race.
The Tomcats (5-3, 3-1) maintained their hold on second place in the district standings, while Whitewright dropped to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in district play.
Colt Parker led the Tigers offensively, completing 5 of 9 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. He also carried the ball 13 times for 23 yards and a score. Tyler Latimer hauled in a 25-yard touchdown reception, while Jacoby Brown added a touchdown on a 5-yard run.
Maddox Smart had a big 42-yard reception, and Nick Ulmer finished with eight carries for 36 yards.
For the Tomcats, quarterback Henry Cheek completed 18 of 26 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 79 yards and a score. Tatum Hanson had a big night on the ground, carrying the ball 21 times for 108 yards and two touchdowns while adding three catches for 48 yards.
Cain Pearson led the Tomcats with nine receptions for 88 yards, while Jacob Lind added three catches for 29 yards and a touchdown.
Tom Bean struck first on an 18-yard touchdown run by Cheek midway through the opening quarter. Whitewright answered when Brown punched it in from five yards out, and Xander Hall added the two-point conversion to give the Tigers an 8-7 lead.
The Tomcats responded with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Cheek to Lind early in the second quarter. Tom Bean later added a safety before Hanson scored on a 2-yard run to extend the lead to 23-8.
Whitewright wasn’t going away quietly. Parker scored on a 1-yard keeper, and Drake Freeman added the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 23-16.
However, Tom Bean managed to get into field goal range just before halftime, and Paxton Parrish connected from 22 yards out to give the Tomcats a 26-16 advantage heading into the locker room.
The Tigers came out fighting in the second half. Parker connected with Latimer on a 25-yard touchdown pass to bring Whitewright within four points at 26-22.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, that would be as close as they would get.
Hanson answered with a 12-yard touchdown run later in the third quarter, and Carter Mayo added a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth to seal the 40-22 victory for Tom Bean.
The win puts the Tomcats in a strong position heading into the final stretch of district play. Tom Bean can clinch a playoff berth with a victory at Wolfe City on Friday.
For Whitewright, the Tigers get a much-needed week off before returning home to face Wolfe City on Nov. 6 in their regular-season finale.
With one game remaining, the Tigers will look to regroup, finish the season with a big win and hopefully earn a spot in the playoffs.
