Royster deals FSMS gridders pair of losses

CHANUTE — Fort Scott Middle School’s football teams fell in both games versus tough Royster Middle School teams here Thursday. The seventh-grade team lost 50-16 while the eighth grade lost 30-8. Both teams have 3-3 records going into the last games of the season at Frary Field Thursday versus Parsons.

Fort Scott’s seventh graders had 10 first downs against Royster. Program head coach Alvin Metcalf said he had been told that the Rockets had given up only seven first downs the entire season and that the Tigers were the first team to score on them.

Nate Adams scored from the 3-yard line in the third quarter and added the 2-point conversion. He rushed for 55 yards on 7 carries. Garrett Seeley caught a 56-yard pass from Hayden Harris and also scored the 2-pointer. Harris was 6 for 8 passing for 150 yards.

“We drove the ball all evening,” Metcalf said, “but turnovers killed the drives. We lost four fumbles and threw an interception.”

Metcalf said that the eighth-grade team suffered from a lot of the same problems.

“We would move the ball down the field but lost fumbles and interceptions hurt us,” he said.

The only Tiger score came on a 30-yard pass from fullback Jacob Stinnett to Parker Allen. Stinnett rushed for 25 yards on 7 carries while Scott Tome led Fort Scott with 45 yards on 5 rushes. Cade Gulager was 5 of 8 for 79 yards at quarterback.

Thursday’s opener, the seventh-grade game, will kick off at 4 p.m. with the eighth-grade contest to follow.