BETHEL — The Cayuga Wildcats overcame  themselves and a stingy Kerens team to open up district play with a victory Friday at Scarborough Stadium.

Despite three first half turnovers and trailing for almost the entire game, Cayuga found a way to earn a 33-30 win over the Bobcats, moving to 4-2 overall and 1-0 in District 6-A Division I.

The Wildcats took their first lead of the game with less than eight minutes to play, when Wesley Rigdon scored from two yards out to put Cayuga up 26-24. The play before, his brother — quarterback Chandler Rigdon — converted a fourth-and-3 to keep the drive alive.

Cayuga added to the tally not long after, when a blocked punt returned inside the Kerens 10-yard-line by linebacker Donald Holly III gave Cayuga prime field position.

After a penalty on Kerens, D'onte Jackson scored from four yards out to put Cayuga up 33-24 with less than six minutes to play.

But, Kerens wasn't going quietly, and quarterback Nate Betts led the Bobcats on a scoring drive the next time his team got the ball. He capped the drive with a nine-yard fade pass to Brett Anderson in the corner of the endzone, which cut Cayuga's lead to 33-30.

Cayuga tried to ice things by running the ball, and even went for it on fourth-and-2 at midfield with just under two minutes to play. But, a bobbled snap by Chandler Rigdon didn't allow him to get the yards, and Kerens had life once again.

After two incompletions, Betts dropped back on third down, but was flushed from the pocket. Cayuga defenders converged on the Bobcat signal-caller, stripping the ball and then recovering it to seal the win.

Chandler Rigdon led all rushers with 122 yards on 17 carries, while Jackson had 89 and Wesley Rigdon had 68 for the Wildcats (4-2, 1-0).

Betts ran for 115 and threw for 90 more in the loss, while Rayvon Faulk had 83 yards on seven carries.

Cayuga travels to Itasca to take on the Wampus Cats next Friday.

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