WO-S slugs Cats 31-7 in district showdown
By FRED DAVIS The Enterprise

In Friday night's huge district draw between West- Orange Stark and Kirbyville, there was a definite feeling of who had been on the big stage before and who's trying to get there.

Dan Hooks' Mustangs - well, they've been there, and it showed in their 31-7 dismantling of the Wildcats.

"They've got a great football team, and we're still fighting to get to their level," Kirbyville coach Jack Alvarez said.

"They've still got the Mustang mystique. They are West-Orange Stark and they just played the Kirbyville Wildcats in our little football stadium, and they whooped our little butts."

A close first half ended with Kirbyville driving into the WO-S red zone before questionable clock management (and clock malfunctions) led to the Wildcats netting no points. Still, they only trailed 12-7 at the half.

Things even looked up for the Wildcats after they recovered a DePauldrick Garrett fumble on the first play of the second half, and they had a nice setup at the WO-S 45.

But that's as good as things got for them in the third quarter.

A quick three-and-out gave the ball back to the Mustangs at their own 30 - and that's when the bottom fell out for Kirbyville.

Ortavious Hypolite, who finished with 10 carries for 101 yards, took a quarterback keeper that went for 52 yards and put the ball the Wildcats' 18. Three DePauldrick Garrett carries and 24 yards later, the Mustangs were in the end zone.

On the ensuing kickoff, an apparent onside kick caught just about everyone in Wildcat Stadium by surprise - except the Mustangs, who recovered it. Two plays later, the Wildcats sold out on a blitz - but WO-S countered with a slip-screen from Hypolite to Garrett for 43 yards and another score, pushing the Mustangs' lead to 25-7 despite three missed extra points.

As for that onside kick, that was an audible of sorts by the kicker.

"He missed the son-of-abuck, that wasn't no planned deal," Hooks said. "It looked good though, didn't it? Looked like good coaching, but I can't take credit for that."

On the Wildcats' next drive, a bad handoff between Broderick Jackson and Aaron Hazlewood led one of two lost fumbles on the night, this time at their own 45.

Four plays later, Quintavious Garrett rumbled in from 16 yards out, cutting back several times between defenders for the final score of the night.

It was a Garrett family affair on the ground for the Mustangs. Quintavious Garrett toted 11 times for 136 yards and a touchdown. DePauldrick Garrett rushed 14 times for 99 yards and had three receptions for 73 yards. He found pay dirt three times.

The Mustangs finished with 409 yards of total offense; Kirbyville had 272 total yards.

Kirbyville's star running back, Pierce Rhodes - the area's leading rusher coming into the game - had a respectable 125 yards on 22 carries.

Hooks said his team's pre-district schedule helped prepare his team for Kirbyville.

"They hadn't played the people we played," he said. "They ain't played Dayton. They ain't played Little Cypress (Mauriceville), Bay City; so I think that preseason schedule toughened these guys up."