WEST FORK -- Colton Wise showed off plenty of playmaking skills for West Fork on Friday. But the Tigers quarterback needed some help from his own defense to get the ball rolling against Gentry in the Week 1 clash at Tiger Stadium.
While Wise eventually threw four touchdowns, it was a Brayden Burnett 39-yard fumble return for a touchdown on Gentry's first offensive play that set the tone. The Pioneers never recovered from the early mistake, and West Fork used to big defensive score to ignite a 42-16 season opening win.
How They Scored
West Fork 42 Gentry 16
Gent^0^8^0^8^—^16
West^14^14^0^14^—^42
First Quarter
West — Burnett 39 fumble return (Wise pass to Crawford), 10:14.
West — Crawford 32 pass from Wise (pass failed), 4:50.
Second Quarter
West — Crawford 24 pass from Wise( Wise pass to Bowerman), 8:20.
West — Bowerman 7 pass from Wise (pass failed), 3:39.
Gent — S. Falkernberry 6 run (S. Falkenberry pass to Brown), 0:37.
Fourth Quarter
Gent — Brown 10 run (S. Falkenberry run), 9:30.
West — Bowerman 11 pass from Wise (Wise pass to Crawford), 5:11.
West — Burnett 6 run (pass failed), 2:18.
"We had that early fumble and then they had the momentum," Gentry coach Brian Little said. "They had the momentum and they took advantage of it.
"I thought at the end of first half we came down and scored from 90 yards and got within 20. But we needed to come back and score again to start the second half. But give West Fork credit. They were tough and they just whipped us there a little bit, and we've got to take it and move on."
Wise, a 6-1 junior, was at his best under the most difficult of circumstances Friday. His first three TD passes came on plays of 4th-and-14, 4th-and-10 and 3rd-and-23, leaving Gentry (0-1) with little chance after falling behind 28-0 late in the second quarter.
But the Pioneers did make a brief push, pulling within 28-16 before another costly fumble helped West Fork (1-0) pull away in the final quarter.
""We scrimmaged Lincoln last week and we challenged our guys to come back ready to work," Tigers coach Brad Lindley said. "And this shows what our kids can do when they put forth the effort."
Extra Points
• Wise passed for 175 yards and completed passes to five different receivers for the Tigers.
• Gentry did not record a first down until its final possession of the first half.
• Gentry's Jonathan Brown led all rushers with 77 yards on 14 carries.
Up Next: Gentry is back on the road for a second consecutive week, facing defending Class 3A champion Charleston. The Tigers defeated Shiloh Christian, 42-14, on Thursday, in their season opener. ... West Fork hits the road next week with a trip to Berryville.
Sports on 09/06/2014