With its 47-22 home win over Principia at America’s Heartland Stadium in a Class 3 District 3 quarterfinal on Oct. 31, the Wright City football team not only ended a two-game slide and extended its season but made program history in doing so.
Wright City (7-3) secured its 23rd win over the course of the past four seasons, breaking the old mark, which the program set between 2007-10.
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With its 47-22 home win over Principia at America’s Heartland Stadium in a Class 3 District 3 quarterfinal on Oct. 31, the Wright City football team not only ended a two-game slide and extended its season but made program history in doing so.
Wright City (7-3) secured its 23rd win over the course of the past four seasons, breaking the old mark, which the program set between 2007-10.
Senior quarterback Dayton Humphreys said that crushing defeats to Montgomery County and North Callaway weren’t going to be the way the team was going to be remembered. The quarterback was happy to know that this year’s team will be known for some great history.
“Going into this game, we knew we had something to prove,” Humphreys said. “The last two weeks were flukes and we really got humbled, I’d say. We needed those butt-whippings to make us drive to do better. We were at 0-0 and now are 1-0 (in the postseason). We’re going to go play Borgia next week and that should be a good game.”
The win puts Wright City into the second round of districts for the third time in the past four seasons as the team will head to Washington to play district top seed St. Francis Borgia (5-4) at 7 p.m. Friday.
The Wildcats advanced thanks to overcoming early adversity in the form of a Principia onside kick and a quick score to start the game.
Wright City scored on five straight possessions to open up the 34-6 halftime lead.
A 10-yard run by sophomore Kayden McCurdy on the ensuing drive after the Panthers’ score gave the Wildcats a lead that the team wouldn’t relinquish.
After the game went to the second quarter with the Wildcats up 7-6, Wright City caught lightning in a bottle, scoring 21 points in a tidy 2:26.
The scoring run began at 9:31 in the quarter on a 25-yard scoring strike from Humphreys to junior TJ Hamel.
“The passing game was really great, Dayton did really well getting the ball just to where the receivers needed it to be tonight,” Hamel said. “The team running the ball really helped us (open up the pass). The line blocked great.”
A Humphreys 10-yard run saw the clock stop at 7:23.
The offensive blitzkrieg finished when a 33-yard interception return for a score by senior Quinn Schnarre turned the 1-point game into a 28-6 lead with 7:05 left in the quarter.
“Our team was put in that predicament to start, but we just stepped it up,” Schnarre said. “To score 21 points in two minutes had everyone hyped. We brought the energy. It was fun to be a part of and the interception means a lot. To get off the block, make the read, make the pick and celebrate in the endzone with my guys is unlike anything else.”
For good measure to close out the half, Humphries found senior Lavarious Green on a 52-yard strike with 23.6 seconds left in the half to make the score 34-6, Wildcats.
In total, Humphreys' throwing stats were 13-of-22 for 213 yards and three scores as he also found sophomore Kaveon Schulte on a 30-yard connection to make it 41-6 just after halftime,
When Humphreys wasn’t slinging the ball to Schulte (75 yards and a score), Green (50 yards and a score), Hamel (44 yards and a score) or to senior Nate Turner (44 yards), the ground game with McCurdy (137 yards, two scores) got to work.
“Our offense, in general, was moving really great tonight,” McCurdy said. “We just had a great overall offensive night and our defense was just as good.”
The Wildcats’ defense was led by Green’s two interceptions and a fumble recovery, sophomore linebacker Za’Marion Rawlison’s six pass break-ups and senior defensive end Kaiden Pilcher’s four sacks.
Wright City will now look to extend its season even further when it heads to Borgia in the hopes of knocking off the Knights. Rickard said that not only is the opposing roster stacked, but veteran coach Boyd Manne will also have the team ready for its postseason debut.
“We know we’ve got our hands full, we know they are a perennial power,” Rickard said. “They’ve got a new coach this year. He was outstanding at Lafayette. You know they’re going to be very well coached and they’re going to have a lot of good athletes. We’re going to have to come ready to play.”
