Defensive mistakes and costly turnovers plagued the Woodland Wildcats (1-1) as they fell to the Woodstock Wolverines 42-3 on Thursday night.
The first quarter featured strong defensive play and limited offensive success, with both teams struggling to score. Woodland managed to strike first with a 44-yard field goal, taking a 3-0 lead late in the first quarter. Woodstock responded early in the second quarter with a 25-yard field goal, tying the game at 3-3 with around 11 minutes left in the first half.
After this, the Wolverines’ offense caught fire. They broke the tie with a 37-yard screen pass that turned into a touchdown, putting them up 10-3 with 5:04 remaining in the first half. After a quick defensive stop, Woodstock extended their lead to 13-3 with a 30-yard field goal, leaving just over three minutes in the second quarter.
Not content with a ten-point lead, Woodstock struck again before halftime. They turned a short pass into a 42-yard touchdown, increasing their lead to 19-3 with 1:10 left in the half. Although they failed a two-point conversion, Woodstock still went into halftime comfortably ahead.
The second half went entirely in Woodstock’s favor. The Wildcats’ troubles began when they fumbled the ball, which the Wolverines recovered and returned 37 yards for a touchdown, making it 26-3 with 9:30 remaining in the third quarter. Woodstock quickly added to their lead with a safety, pushing the score to 28-3.
A few minutes later, the Wolverines scored again, this time with a 19-yard touchdown pass, increasing their lead to 35-3 just before the end of the third quarter. A running clock sped through much of the fourth quarter, but Woodstock still managed to score a short rushing touchdown in the final minutes, sealing a decisive 42-3 victory.
Woodland has a bye next week but will host the Adairsville Tigers on September 6th. You can stream the game by visiting the Adairsville Sports Network.