Bulldogs Spoil Vikings’ Homecoming
The Treutlen County High School Vikings football team hosted the Bulldogs of Wheeler County High School last Friday night for Homecoming. Wheeler came away with the win in the rivalry game 56-32 to put a damper on the night for the Vikings.
During halftime of the game Calkle Cauley was named as the 2020 Homecoming Queen for the Vikings.
In the first quarter of the game Jacquez Kincy, who was back from an injury in last week's game against Wilcox, was shaking off the rust as he threw an interception in the first quarter of the game, but it was deep in the Vikings' territory as they took over at their own 10-yard line.
Treutlen didn't get much going as they had to punt the ball away with 7:37 left in the first. Wheeler had good field position and began their drive at the Vikings' 37-yard line after a short punt. Just a few plays later a pass from Kincy to Brandon Smallwood put the Bulldogs on the board with 6:30 on the clock. They went for two, but failed, but Wheeler held a 6-0 lead. The Vikings had to punt the ball again on their next possession, and this time Wheeler was on their side of the field at the 34-yard line to startthingsoff. After a few plays, a 36-yard reception by Quinshad Edwards from Kincy moved the ball all the wayintothered zone. O n the next play a 14-yard pass to Jason Culver put Wheeler on top 12-0 with just over a minute to play in the quarter. Culver then took it in for the twopoint conversion to put the Bulldogs on top 14-0. Early in the second quarter the Bulldogs again had a big pass play, this time a 54yard strike from Kincy to Smallwood with 10:16 to play in the half for a touchdown. They again did not get the two-point try, but led 20-0.
Treutlen began their next drive at the Wheeler 49-yard line and put together a good drive, but came away with no points. Runs from Qamar Jordan and Logan Hughes the quarterback pushed the ball down inside the 20-yard line. Treutlen worked it to the2-yardline,but failed to get into the end zone on a fourth down play and turned the ball over on Wheeler took over there, but just two plays later Ben Foskey got through the line and sacked the quarterback Kincy in the end zone for a safety to make the score 20-2 with 4:17 to play in the half. It was the first points that the Vikings had scored in the first half of a game all season long.
After the free kick the Vikings did get a good run from Hughes, Jordan and Da'Mariun Thomas as they again got the ball inside the 10-yard line. They pushed it down to the 1, but a penalty moved them back out to the 9. On the next play Tim Blair caught a pass from Hughes and was in for the touchdown with 1:10 to play. That made the score 20-8.
Wheeler answered, though, before the end of the first half as they struck quickly. Another big pass play put Wheeler at the 8-yard line after the Vikings missed several tackles on the play. On the next play the Bulldogs were into the end zone on a pass to Keenan Bryant from Kincy with 39 seconds to go. They again could not punch in the two-point conversion, but led 26-8 heading to halftime.
At the start of the second half the Vikings had the ball, but fumbled it on the second play with Wheeler recovering it the Vikings' 41-yard line. It didn't take long as Landon Bell got a big run to the 14yard line. After a penalty moved them back to the 19, Smallwood pulled in another pass from Kincy in the end zone for a Bulldog touchdown. Bell went in for the two-point conversion to put Wheeler on top 34-8 with 10:45 left in the third quarter.
Treutlen got a big play on the ensuing kickoff return by Jarvis Williams as he ran the ball back 90 yards for a touchdown. That closed the lead to 34-14. The Vikings recovered an onside kick and after getting the ball down to the Bulldog 21-yard line, Jordan broke free for another Vikings touchdown. That made the score 34-20 with 7:27 left in the third.
Treutlen got a big defensive play by PJ Smiley on the Bulldogs' next offensive poss es sion as he came up with an interception and returned it all the way down to the Wheeler 20-yard line. Runs by Jordan took it to the 2-yard line and set up firstand- goal. Hughes went in for the touchdown to close the lead to 34-26 with 5:24 left in the third quarter. Treutlen again went for an onside kick, and this time Blair got on it for the Vikings. But the ball was given back to Wheeler as the Vikings were called for touching the ball early, and the ball was placed at the 50-yard line. On the first play Bell got loose and went all the way, 50 yards, for the Bulldog touchdown to put Wheeler on top 42-26 with just over five minutes to go in the third.
Wheeler added two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter of the game on 26yard run by Culver and a pass from Kincy to Edwards from 26 yards out. The Vikings picked up one more touchdown on a 3-yard run by Jordan, but Wheeler took the win, 56 32 over the Vikings.
Kincy led Wheeler with 309 passing yards and six touchdowns. Bell added 83 rushing yards and Culver had 87 yards on the ground along with 40 reception yards. Smallwood had 105 receiving yards and Edwards added 88 yards receiving with Bryant pulling in 77 yards through the air.
Wheeler is now 5-2 on the season while the Vikings are 1-5. Wheeler will be at home this Thursday night for their Homecoming game against Johnson County with kickoff at 7:00 p.m. Treutlen will be in Dublin on Friday night to take on the defending AA State Champions with kickoff at 7:30 p.m.
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