Tigers take control early, down Buffs 35-6

LaCYGNE -- Fort Scott High improved to 4-1 on the season with a 35-6 victory over Prairie View here Friday night.

The Tigers outgained the Buffalos (3-2) 249 yards to 26 in the first half as Prairie View managed just one first down.

Wyatt Tourtillott scored first for the Tigers on a 5-yard run with 7:35 on the clock in the opening quarter, capping Fort Scott's first possession. It lasted nine plays over 73 yards.

The next score came quickly as Brody Southwell hauled in a 48-yard pass from Kaleb DeLaTorre with 4:19 left in the first. Southwell also kicked the extra point to make it 14-0.

Prairie View got its lone first down of the half on the next possession but still had to punt from the Fort Scott 47-yard line. The Tigers then used 12 plays to go 75 yards in the next 5:15. Carter Young scored the first of his two touchdowns on a 2-yards run to cap the drive with 7:30 to go in the second quarter.

The Tiger defense forced Prairie View to go three-and-out on the next possession. But Fort Scott's next drive ended with an interception by Prairie View's Trevor Hoover. But that was less then a minute remaining in the half and the Buffs were unable to move the ball after taking over at their own 10.

Prairie View ran just six plays in the second quarter for a total of one yard of offense.

The Buffalos had the first possession of the second half and moved the ball, gaining more than twice as many yards on this drive (59) as they did in the entire first half. But the drive ended at the Fort Scott 7 with an interception by Young that he returned 18 yards.

No points went on either side of the scoreboard in the third period but the Tigers were on the Buffalos' one-yard line when the teams changed sides, having held it for nine plays since taking over at their own 33. Young scored for the second time from the one on the first play of the final stanza with Southwell's extra point making it 28-0.

The final score came at the end of a nine-play, 8-yard drive aided by two face mask penalties against Prairie View. Morgan Stoughton scored on a 5-yard run with 4:27 remaining. The extra point brought the running clock rule into effect, although it didn't start immediately.

Hoover returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for Prairie View's lone score. A 2-point conversion was unsuccessful.

With the running clock in effect, Prairie View kicked off. The breeze behind the kicker pushed the ball into the end zone. It took enough time for the kickoff and to set up for what would have been the next play the the Tigers didn't have to snap the ball before time expired.

For the game, Fort Scott outgained Prairie View 366 yards to 130. The Tigers rushed for 216 yards led by 113 on 19 carries by Young and another 50 on 5 rushes by Zarek Fewell.

DeLaTorre completed 8 of 13 passes for 150 yards. He has thrown for 703 yards in his first five games, the most by a Tiger since Matt Wheeler threw for 752 over weeks 5-9 of the 2007 season. Stepps caught 5 passes for 71 yards.

Fort Scott returns home and into Southeast Kansas League play Friday against Independence.

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TIGER BOX

FORT SCOTT....... 14 7 0 14 -- 35

PRAIRIE VIEW...... 0 0 0 6 -- 6

Scoring plays

First quarter

FS -- W.Tourtillott 5 run (Southwell kick), 7:35

FS -- Southwell 48 pass from DeLaTorre (Southwell kick), 4:19

Second quarter

FS -- Young 2 run (Southwell kick), 7:30

Fourth quarter

FS -- Young 1 run (Southwell kick), 11:57

FS -- Stoughton 5 run (Southwell kick), 4:27

PV -- Hoover 94 kickoff return (pass failed), 3:11

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Fort Scott -- Young 19-113, Fewell 5-50, W.Tourtillott 7-24, Stoughton 4-15, DeLTorre 8-14. Prairie View -- Thayer 3-43, Phelps 11-22, Isenhower 8-14, Hoover 4-4, Pemberton 2-minus 2.

PASSING: Fort Scott -- DeLaTorre 8-13-1-150. Prairie View --Phelps 2-4-1-49.

RECEIVING: FS -- Stepps 5-71, Southwell 1-48, W.Tourtillott 1-22, Engstrom, 1-9. Prairie View -- Gullotta 2-49.

MISSED FIELD GOALS: None.