Staff Reports
WALNUT GROVE – Sand Rock churned out 477 yards of total offense, and the Wildcat defense forced six West End turnovers in a 42-27 Class 2A, Region 6 football victory at Walnut Grove on Friday.
Quarterback Ace Ashley completed 14 of his 20 pass attempts for 170 yards and three touchdowns for the Wildcats (6-1, 4-1). Jacob Cornejo carried the ball 23 times for 172 yards and two scores. He also posted 6 ½ tackles and an interception on defense. Tru Graham ran for 86 yards on nine carries with a touchdown.
Olin Pruitt was the Wildcats’ top pass catcher, with five receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown. He also had a pair of interceptions on defense. Logan Crider caught three passes for 25 yards and the Wildcats’ first score. He also had an interception on defense.
Heath Driver also finished with an interception on defense.
After Ashley’s 15-yard touchdown connection with Crider in the second quarter opened the scoring, West End (4-4, 2-3) countered with Thad Pearce’s 58-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7.
Cornejo put the Wildcats back out in front at 14-7 with his 59-yard score, but Pearce brought the Patriots back again with his 12-yard touchdown run to tie the game 14.
Ashley threw his second touchdown pass of the night to Brian Giles. This one went for 2-yards, and it put the Wildcats back out in front 20-14.
Ashley then connected with Pruitt for a 27-yard score, stretching Sand Rock’s lead to 28-14 at halftime.
Cornejo and Graham scored on runs of 1 and 75 yards respectively in the third quarter to put the game out of reach at 42-14.
West End quarterback Tyler Jones, who completed 6-of-17 pass attempts for 80 yards and five interceptions, accounted for two touchdowns on a 12-yard pass to Eli Golden at the end of the third quarter and a 40-yard connection with Pearce in the fourth for the final.
Pearce finished with 77 yards on just four carries with two touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 59 yards and a score.
Sand Rock hosts Spring Garden on Friday. West End is at Southeastern.