By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent
The Tarrant Wildcats and the West End Patriots tangled in an old-fashioned shootout in Walnut Grove last Friday (Sept. 16), with the host Patriots coming away with a 29-27 Class 2A, Region 7 victory.
With Tanner holding a six-point lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter, Jordan Malin’s touchdown with 26 seconds left in the game gave West End the win.
Malin finished with 115 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries.
“We played like crap in the first half and did what we needed to do to win,” said West End head coach Kyle Davis. “We needed this game and we just kept fighting. It was a total team effort.”
West End put 10 points on the board in the gam’s first six minutes on Payne Stancil’s 27- yard field goal and 30-yard touchdown pass to Andre Little.
That’s when Dowdell Jawuan woke up.
The Tarrant speedster scored the hame’s next three touchdowns while piling up 162 yards rushing on only 10 carries. His production helped the Wildcats take a 21-10 lead at intermission. Jawuan scored on a runs of 32, 36 and 2 yards as Tarrant appeared to have the game in hand with a 21-10 halftime lead.
Tarrant increased its lead to 27-10 before the Patriots got their wake-up call. Coryell Taylor scored on a one yard run with 9:33 to go in the third quarter.
But Malin decided to come to play in the second half to help give West End the 29-27 come-from-behind win.
Tarrant out-gained West End 453 to 273 in total offense. The Wildcats were also penalized 23 times for 175 yards.
West End hosts Pleasant Valley this week in non-region action.