THRALL – It was a game that easily lived up to its billing. The Thrall Tigers (2-0) entered Friday night’s fray with the Johnson City Eagles (1-1) expecting a high-scoring game. And, when the dust settled, the Tigers had posted a 56-42 win to remain unbeaten on the young season.
“Our game plan was to play more tight-end and key off that formation, and we were able to play like we wanted to against a very good team,” said Thrall Coach Aaron Vanecek.
The game was a slugfest throughout the first half. The Tigers drew first blood when Chance Parker hit Tyler Bonkowski on a 20-yard pass into the end zone. Alejandro Estrada’s extra point made it 7-0 with 6:15 to play in the opening period.
After a game-tying touchdown by the Eagles, the Tigers went to work again. Turner, who finished the night with 320 yards through the air and six touchdowns and added 219 on the ground and a pair of scores, connected with Landon Gregory on a perfectly-timed throw into the end zone from 13 yards out. The PAT gave the Tigers a 14-7 lead.
Johnson City answered again, knotting the score at 14 on a one-yard run by quarterback McCray Jacobs early in the second period, but once again the Tigers were not to be outdone. Gregory set the Tigers up in good field position at their own 45 after his 35-yard kickoff return. It took just two plays for Parker and Gregory to hook up for the second score of the night. This time, from 54 yards out to regain the lead, 21-14.
The Eagles rallied again, scoring on a five-yard pass from Jacobs to Johnny Slawinski, tying the game again, this time at 21.
Thrall took the lead for good on its next possession. A 65-yard pass from Parker to Breken Proctor on the second play of the drive set the Tigers up at the Eagle four. Four plays later, on fourth and goal, Parker called his own number, barreling in from a yard out for the score. The point after gave the Tigers a 28-21 lead.
On their next possession, Parker and Proctor teamed up again on a 31-yard pass that moved the Tigers into Eagle territory at the 36. Facing another fourth down, Parker and Gregory hooked up for the third time in the first half, on a 32-yard strike. The extra point gave the Tigers a 35-21 halftime lead.
It was more of the same in the second half. Johnson City held Thrall on its first possession, then drove 69 yards in 14 plays, with Jacobs picking up the final two on a dive to the right side of the line. The touchdown cut the Thrall lead to 42-28 with 3:43 to play in the third quarter.
But the Eagles had no answer for the Tiger offense. Parker pushed the lead to 49-28 on the Tigers’ next possession, scoring on a 13-yard quarterback draw. Then, on the Tigers’ next possession, Parker hit Gregory on the right side, and a crushing Bonkowski block downfield allowed Gregory to scoot into the end zone on a 52-yard scoring play.
“That series of possessions was the key to the game for us,” Vanecek said. “We scored, then held them, and scored again. That made the difference in the game.”
Consecutive first-down runs by Jacobs and Reid Weirich, who finished the night with 165 yards, moved the Eagles to the Thrall 33. From there, Jacobs went to the air finding a wide-open Walker Jackson for the score, cutting the lead to 49-35.
Thrall ended the Eagles' hopes for a rally when Parker and Gregory combined to score their fifth passing touchdown of the game on a 35-yard shuttle pass with two minutes to play in the game. The score made it 56-35. Johnson City added a late score for the final margin.
In all, the Tigers put up more than 600 yards of offense against what was expected to be a tough defense, while the Eagles, themselves, had more than 400 yards of offense in the shootout.
The Tigers will host the Florence Buffaloes (0-2) for homecoming next week.
