GILMER -- A Hunter Owens 35-yard-touchdown run at the 3:04 mark in the third quarter proved to be the deciding factor in White Oak's 10-8 win over Redwater at Buckeye Stadium on Thursday night. The senior Owens led the Roughnecks in rushing with 10 carries for 73 yards and the one score.

"Hunter's one of our biggest leaders. He's playing both ways now. He played every snap on offense and every snap on defense. The kid's just a warrior," White Oak coach Gerry Stanford said.

After a scoreless first quarter, White Oak (1-0) got on the board first with a 31-yard Tanner Sharp field goal with 26 seconds left in the half, which was predicated by a Dee Sutton fumble recovery.

"(Sutton) made a great play right before the end of the half to strip the ball, and setup our sophomore to kick the field goal, which really won the game essentially," Stanford said.

After a 3-0 Roughnecks lead at halftime, Redwater (0-1) stormed out of the gate to start the third quarter with a six-play drive, capped by a Jared Bristow 27-yard touchdown pass to receiver John Cleghorn at the 8:39 mark. Cleghorn finished with two grabs for 42 yards and a touchdown.

"I told my kids I was proud of them. I asked them to do one thing, and that was to give me everything they got. And I thought they did," said first-year Redwater coach Tommy Graf, who was the defensive coordinator on Redwater's regional semifinal squad last year. "We had a lot of setbacks early and our kids fought tooth and nail."

Those setbacks included eight fumbles (three lost), nine penalties for 70 yards and two quarterbacks who had to leave with injuries.

"We were facing a real good White Oak team; we knew that going into it," Graf said.

White Oak quarterback Dylan Gale finished 9 of 14 passing for 59 yards and one interception. Junior wide receiver Jansen McCurdy led the Roughnecks in receiving with three grabs for 10 yards.

Redwater had two tailbacks put together solid games. Senior Hunter Cox had 10 carries for 91 yards, while 6-1, 225-pound fullback Jacobie Briscoe tallied 64 yards on 13 carries.

White Oak is home next Friday, playing host to Bullard, while Redwater is set to travel to Quitman.

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