SULPHUR SPRINGS — The Tigers had another 100-yard rusher. They had some nice moments. They showed some fight.

They also suffered another loss, this one a 42-21 defeat to Sulphur Springs that has Corsicana looking at a 1-4 record headed into its District 16-4A opener in two weeks.

The Tigers learned one important thing about their team again Friday night and in all five of their non-district games – they have to find a way to play four quarters. There have been peaks and valleys in every game this season, where they play well in spurts, but then fall back into bad habits.

The Tigers had some momentum at halftime after stopping Sulphur Springs deep in their own territory to end the half. And the Tigers had the ball to start the third quarter. But a three-and-out on the Tigers’ opening possession of the third quarter got the Wildcats’ offense back on the field and rolling again.

Sulphur Springs (3-2) quickly moved down the field, driving 68 yards and scoring on a 9-yard pass from Brad Macek to Colton Wise for a 21-6 lead with 7:19 left in the third quarter.

The Wildcats scored again on their next drive, moving 61 yards, finishing off that drive on 1-yard run by Willie Ivery for a 28-6 lead with 2:58 left in the third quarter.

The Tigers picked up some momentum in the fourth quarter as Tygarius Sheffield, who finished with 114 yards, started running through the Wildcats’ defense after getting stuffed on fourth down on Corsicana’s previous possession. Sheffield kept moving the chains with short bursts and finished off a 75-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown run with 11:48 left in the fourth quarter. Sheffield’s two-point run made it 28-14.

Sulphur Springs quickly answered with a 12-yard touchdown reception by Jordan Jackson for a 35-14 lead with 6:37 left. But 24 seconds later Tigers receiver Ashton Newsome, who had dropped a pass on the previous play, did a stop-and-go route and caught a perfect pass from Zach Rash for a 74-yard touchdown catch and a 35-21 game with 6:13 left.

The Tigers failed on an onside kick, and the Wildcats finished off the win on a 3-yard run by Willie Ivery with 4:43 left in the game for a 42-21 lead.

The Tigers put themselves in position at halftime, scoring in the second quarter to cut the Sulphur Springs lead to 14-6.

Keasandre Spence, the Tigers’ jitterbug of a running back, provided a spark, breaking off a 30-yard run with a 15-yard penalty tacked on at the end of the play to get to the Sulphur Springs 23. Bobby Wallace had an 18-yard run, and the Tigers needed three plays to score on a 2-yard sneak by Rash with 6:05 left in the first half.

The Tigers kept Sulphur Springs twice in the last six minutes as the Wildcats moved inside the Corsicana 30 both times. Corsicana had a three-and-out in between the two possessions and Sulphur Springs had a touchdown called back on an illegal block.

Sulphur Springs had a shot at a touchdown on a fourth-down play at the Tigers 35 but Macek’s pass was out of the reach of receiver Cole Hill.

The Wildcats turned to all-purpose receiver Willie Ivery in the first quarter as they took a 14-0 lead. Ivery finished off Sulphur Spring’s opening drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Macek. Ivery scored again on a 1-yard run with 8:27 left in the first half. The Wildcats took a 27-yard field goal off the board on an offside penalty that gave them a first-and-goal at the Tigers 3.

Penalties killed a promising Corsicana drive on its first drive. The Tigers drove to the Wildcats 23 but a holding penalty on first down put Corsicana off schedule and the drive stalled with two incomplete passes and no gain on a run.

Sulphur Springs 42, Corsicana 21

Corsicana        0   6   0   15 -- 21

S. Springs    7   7   14   14 – 42



First Quarter

C- Willie Ivery 15 pass from Macek (Tony Bravo kick), 9:37

Second Quarter

SS- Willie Ivery 1 run (Bravo kick), 8:27

C – Zach Rash 2 run (kick failed), 6:05

Third Quarter

SS – Colton Wise 9 pass from Macek (Bravo kick), 7:19

SS – Willie Ivery 1 run (Bravo kick), 2:58

 Fourth Quarter

C – Tygarius Sheffield 9 run (Sheffield run), 11:48

SS – Jordan Jackson 12 pass from Macek (Bravo kick), 6:37

C – Ashton Newsom 74 pass from Rash (Ryan Condley kick), 6:13

SS – Willie Ivery 1 run (Bravo kick), 4:43



            C    SS

First downs        25    33

Rush-yards       37-225    26-205    

Passing yards  136    173    C-A-I             7-20-0    17-29-0

Fumbles-lost  1-0    3-0

Punts-avg.        5-42.6    3-36.6

Penalties-yards 9-68    9-80

Individual

Rushing – C: Tygarius Sheffield 17-115, Kassandre Spence 6-65, Bobby Wallace 6-50, Jacob Grayson 3-4, Zach Rash 5-(-9). SS: Buddy Ivery 19-146, Willie Ivery 10-64, Mitchell De Yong 2-3, Brian Macek 5-(-8).   

Passing – C: Rash 6-19-0-136, Wallace 0-1-0-0. SS: Macek 17-29-0-173.

Receiving – C: Ashton Newsome 1-64, Wallace 5-63, Justin Gibson 1-9. SS: W. Ivery 5-74, Colton Wise 3-44, Cole Hill 3-33, Alex Burney 1-13, B. Ivery 1-5, Isaiah Lacy 1-4.