Local Sports
Cayuga makes more history with win
Wildcats capture first outright district title Friday night
By SCOTT TYLER
Sports Editor
BETHEL — The Cayuga Wildcats made history Friday night.
For the first time in school history, the Wildcats won the out right district title after a 34-28 win over Grapeland at Scarborough Stadium.
Cayuga had a chance to win the district title last year, but lost to Grapeland in the season-finale and ended up in a three-way tie with the Sandies and Alto.
“This is something we have been pursuing for the last two years,” Cayuga head coach Tommy Allison said of winning the District 20-A title. “It is a great accomplishment for the team, the school district and the community.”
Cayuga (5-0, 8-1) will start the playoffs against Beckville, who defeated Mount Enterprise Friday night to get into the playoffs. The Class A, Division II bi-district game will be played at 7:30 p.m. in Bullard.
On Friday night, it was a dominant first half by the Wildcats, who built a 28-0 lead, powered by the legs of Malcome Kennedy and Traylon Shead.
Kennedy scored the first two touchdowns of the game on runs of 1 and 14 yards and Shead scored the next two touchdowns on runs of 1 and 2 yards.
Kennedy ran for 112 yards on 20 carries and Shead ran for 158 on 18 carries.
“Both Malcome and Traylon are tremendous runners,” Allison said. “They did a great job finding the creases Friday night.”
Cayuga’s defense dominated the first half, holding the Sandies to just 34 offensive yards while forcing them to commit four turnovers, two fumbles and two interceptions, which Cayuga converted into 21 first-half points.
The Wildcats’ Billy Duncan came up big on defense for Cayuga grabbing a pair of interceptions. He also caught three passes for 39 yards.
Grapeland’s first score came at the start of the second half but Cayuga responded with a 27-yard scoring run by Shead, putting Cayuga up by a comfortable 34-6.
Shead’s three touchdowns Friday night gives him 128 career touchdowns and moves him to a tie for second on the Texas all-time list. Shead moves past Kenneth Hall and Cedric Benson and is in a tie with Cuero’s Robert Strait. Shead only trails Lamar Consolidated’s Jazquizz Rodgers’ 136 career touchdowns.
With Cayuga ahead 34-6 late in the third quater, Allison started putting in the Wildcat bench.
The Sandies responded by scoring 22 straight points. By the time Boyd completed a 49-yard touchdown pass to Devan Mayfield to cut the lead to six points late in the fourth quarter, Cayuga had its starters back in the game.
The Wildcats recovered the onside kick and after a 38-yard run by Shead to the Grapeland 11-yard line, the game was all but over.
“Our objective was to win the game and come out healthy,” Allison said. “And that is what we were able to do.”
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Herald-Press reporter Wayne Stewart contributed to this story.
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