Bremond roars last
Tigers outlast Normangee in 25-A slugfest
NORMANGEE - Two heavyweights of Class A, fourth-ranked Normangee and eight-ranked Bremond, swapped blow for blow Friday night, and the visiting Tigers used the bruising runs of 220-pound Rickie Williams to wear down the Panthers for a 48-41 victory in a District 25-A showdown.
The loss ended Normangee's perfect start to the season, leaving the Panthers at 8-1 overall and 5-1 in 25-A. Bremond has the inside track for the district championship at 7-2 overall and 5-0 in league play. Both teams already have clinched spots in the playoffs.
A defensive masterpiece had been expected between these two squads. The Tigers had won six shutouts in a row, while Normangee was averaging 38 points per game and holding opponents to seven.
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Eagle Photo/Gabriel Chmielewski
Bremond's Jeremy Baker catches at TD pass between Normangee's Landon Hodges and Whitley Reed.
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And the first half included a solid defensive performance by both teams, but Bremond unleased Williams in the second half as the bruiser finished with 172 rushing yards on 21 carries, including 138 yards in the second half.
Both defenses were handling the rushing game well, and that resulted in 51 passes being thrown. Normangee hit on 13 of 28 for 212 yards, while Bremond hit 10 of 23 for 213 yards with three interceptions.
Normangee's Mullinnix brothers, Justin and Jordan, had all the rushing yards for the Panthers. Justin had 57 yards on 16 carries, and Jordan was held to 37 yards on 14 carries.
Down by 33-26 entering the fourth quarter, Bremond put together a 22-point surge over the final 12 minutes while holding Normangee to just eight points.
There were some strange happenings, including a crazy start and finish by the same player.
Normangee defensive tackle Zech Sams returned a blocked punt 35 yards for the first score of the game. Then late in the fourth quarter, Normangee blocked an extra-point kick, and Sams got that one, too, racing 75 yards for two points and the last score of the game.
Normangee pulled out the stops, using several trick plays like a fourth-down pass by punter Whitley Reed to Chandrick Evans for 32 yards and a first down at the Bremond 2-yard line.
Normangee took a 20-12 first half lead. Evans caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from Justin Mullinnix after Sams had scored the first points on the blocked punt. Justin also scored from 52 yards out on a scramble.
Bremond's Jarrett Snider pulled in a 52-yard pass from LiDarral Bailey, and Jacob Yezak caught a 19-yarder for the Tigers' second score of the first half.
The second half became a wild one with the two teams exchanging three touchdowns in a back-and-forth scoring fest.
Jordan Mullinnix scored from 5 yards out to open Normangee's second-half scoring. Bailey evened that quickly, returning the ensuing kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown. Then Jordan Mullinnix scored on a 2-yard run for Normangee, and Bremond's Jeremy Baker pulled in a 12-yard pass from Bailey to answer. Jordan Mullinnix then scored his third TD on a 10-yard run.
After the Mullinnix score, Bremond scored on the next offensive play when Bailey threw a 70-yard strike to Baker down the middle of the field.
When Bremond turned back Normangee's next possession, the tide turned.
Williams broke through the middle on a 29-yard scoring scamper to put the Tigers up 48-39.
Normangee then got the two points when Bremond's extra point block was returned by Sams.
Normangee made a valiant effort in the final 1:58 and moved to the Bremond 13, but the last play pass to Jacob Horn in the end zone was knocked away.
Sams, Colton Smith, Dillon Wolfe, Jordan Mullinnix and Reed all had good games on defense for Normangee. Williams was a defensive force as well for Bremond. He got good help from Trenton Anderson, Jacob Yezak, Todd Crawford and Baker.
Evans caught nine Mullinnix passes for 169 yards and the one score.