Tuttle proves why they are tops in 3A

By Mike Arie

Pauls Valley knew they would have to play a near perfect game in the first round of the playoffs to pull off the upset of No. 1 Tuttle. They didn't get off to the start that they needed and the Tuttle Tigers took advantage with a 63-0 whitewashing of the Panthers.

“That's a tough way to end it,” Pauls Valley head coach Kevin Foster said. “We accomplished things that people didn't think we could. We've had a good season even though the scoreboard didn't show it tonight.”

Tuttle tailback Ethan Biddy was the scoreboard buster for the Panthers as he rushed for 324 yards on 23 carries and four touchdowns. Tuttle's offense had over 770 yards with 760 of that coming on the ground.

Before most people could get their hot chocolate from the concession stand, the Tigers had put 14 points on the board behind a Sterling Koons 1-yard plunge and Biddy's first touchdown of the night a 9-yard run. All that took place in the first three minutes of the game.

Two minutes later it was 21-0 after Biddy went 73 yards for a touchdown.

Pauls Valley then put together a drive that took them into scoring position. A 35-yard pass from Caleb Livingston to Casey Gardner almost went the distance but a shoestring tackle brought him down inside the 20-yard line.

Tuttle held from there and Pauls Valley attempted a 39-yard field goal with the 25 mph north wind. The kick was blocked and Tuttle took over at their own 30.

Four plays later, Biddy was in the end zone again this time from 53 yards out as Tuttle took a 28-0 lead.

The Panthers caught their first break of the game as Tuttle was driving early in the second quarter. Chase Hunt made a big hit on quarterback Sterling Koons and he coughed up the football and Robert Smith recovered at the Panther 39.

Pauls Valley fumbled the ball right back on the next snap after a 17-yard gain. Tuttle took advantage marching down the field with Biddy going in from 19 yards out for a 35-0 lead.

The Panthers turned the ball over again on their next possession. Sterling Koons scored his second touchdown of the night on a 73-yard run and Tuttle took a 42-0 lead into half time.

Tuttle scored on their opening possession of the second half. Biddy helped marched the Tigers down the field but he left the game early in the third and gave way to the back ups. Reno Marical capped off the drive with an 18-yard touchdown run.

Pauls Valley had two good drives to start the second half but a punt and then an interception led to 14 points.

The first was Marical going in from 40 yards out and the second was an 83-yard run by Bryce Ebert that pushed the score up to 63-0.

After another fumble late in the third quarter, Tuttle pulled all of its starters for reserves.

Robert Smith picked up his second fumble of the night early in the fourth quarter. Pauls Valley had a 12-play drive that moved the ball down the field but a turnover killed the scoring opportunity.

After a sack by Caleb Meave for the Panthers and a false start by Tuttle, the starters came back in for the Tigers. Tuttle snapped the ball and all the Tuttle players went and blocked Meave on the play as Sterling Koons took a knee eight yards deep.

After some trash talk and a shove, Pauls Valley was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The Tuttle starters then left the field again and the reserves came back in. The reserves ran all but 45 seconds off the clock. PV got the ball back ran one play and the game ended with a shutout for the Tigers.

“We showed we had a lot of character on the field tonight,” Foster said. “We taught them all year that this is more than just a football game. We had some kids show leadership all season and especially tonight.”

Pauls Valley finishes the year with a 6-5 mark when many thought they wouldn't win two games this season.

“We still have a long way to go,” Foster said. “We are really young and we are going to get better.”