Westminster Christian rolls past Madison County
By Bud McLaughlin
GURLEY – Trailing 6-0 after the first quarter, Westminster Christian reeled off 29 unanswered points en route to a 36-20 win over Madison County.
The Wildcats improve to 2-0 while the Tigers start the season 0-2.
Westminster Christian quarterback Ian Theis had three touchdown passes and he also scored a touchdown to lift the 3A Wildcats to the win over 5A Madison County.
Madison County quarterback Austin Mills found Emmanuel Fletcher on a 15-yard touchdown pass with about 7 minutes left in the opening quarter. However, the point-after failed, leaving the Tigers with a 6-0 lead.
Then, Westminster Christian went to work on the strength of four big plays.
Theis tied the score on a 28-yard touchdown run and Jackson Billings’ two-point conversion gave the Wildcats an 8-6 lead with 10 minutes left in the second quarter.
It was a lead they never gave up.
Thies and Brooks Reinhardt, the Wildcats’ leading receiver last season, combined on a 73-yard catch and run for a 14-6 lead. Cade Rawlings’ PAT was good and the Wildcats led 15-6 with 5:26 left in the half. The Wildcats went into intermission with a 22-6 advantage when Theis found Sam Sheppard on a 27-yard scoring pass with 19 seconds left. Rawlings made the point-after.
Early in the third quarter, Benjamin Stanley broke loose on a 36-yard TD run and Rawlings was good on the point-after for a 29-6 Westminster Christian lead.
The Tigers, though, got back on the board when Quamaine Gamble scored on a 26-yard run with 5:50 to go in the third quarter. Robert Henshaw’s kick was good to cut the Wildcats’ lead to 29-13.
Theis picked up his third touchdown pass of the night when he connected with Jackson Billings on an 18-yard TD pass. Rawlings’ point-after gave Westminster a 36-13 lead with 2:31 left in the third quarter.
The Tigers wrapped up the scoring when Mills capped a drive with a 2-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. Wiley Henshaw’s PAT was good for the final 36-20 score.
Madison County hosts Guntersville on Friday and Westminster Christian entertains Colbert Heights.
