SHERMAN -- Mitchell DeYong ran for three touchdowns and Sulphur Springs' defense played well in the Wildcats' 34-14 Friday night win at Sherman.

Two big fourth-quarter takeaways helped Sulphur Springs (1-1), which played without senior standout Willy Ivery, who injured his ankle in last week's 55-20 season-opening home loss to Tyler Lee.

A Wildcat sack resulted in a fumble that Carson Hicks recovered at the Sherman 2-yard line with Sulphur Springs lead 20-7 early in the fourth quarter. That led to DeYong's third short touchdown run of the game and an insurmountable 27-7 lead a couple of minutes into the fourth.

Not long after that the Wildcats picked off a pass and returned it deep into Sherman territory, where Jaylon Hawkins scored from five yards to ice the game, 34-7, with 6:39 remaining. Sherman's only offensive touchdown of the game came when Tre Mask scored from 67 yards with about five minutes to play.

Sulphur Springs got on the board in the first half when Larry Pryor hit Isaiah Lacy for a 13-yard touchdown pass. DeYong's first touchdown run pushed the 'Cats ahead 14-0 halfway through the second quarter, and that lead held through halftime.

Sherman cut the deficit in half midway through the third thanks to Dakota Denney's 10-yard interception return for a touchdown, but that's the closest the Bearcats gots. DeYong's second touchdown run came soon after the fourth quarter began for a 20-7 Sulphur Springs lead.

Sulphur Springs hosts No. 5 Whitehouse (2-0) on Friday.

 

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