Arcata High’s Tigers overcame a late charge by hosts McKinleyville High to link their seventh consecutive win in a high-scoring Friday night football game, 38-32.
AHS quarterback Shane Purcell was once again instrumental in the victory, throwing five touchdowns and putting the team two touchdowns ahead of their rivals during the first quarter.
The senior-year arm capped off the team’s first two drives with complete passes to receiver Carson Tucker to open the score and put more distance between the teams early on. The first pass came from 38 yards away, while the latter throw came from 16 yards out.
The home team scored its opening touchdown when junior-year quarterback Jack Clancy sneaked past the goal line on a two-yard play minutes after the start of the second quarter.
The Tigers replied on their following drive, reaching the end zone when Purcell threw a five-yard ball to Oscar Carlson to further their lead back to two touchdowns.
But McKinleyville would bridge the gap with two quick touchdowns with halftime less than two minutes away. The Panthers finished off the corresponding drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Clancy to Draeson Amato.
Put on the opposite of the ball, McKinleyville held the Tigers to a quick turnover on the visitors’ possession. Clancy executed with less than a minute on the clock, reaching Mettah Kuska with a complete 58-yard pass.
The catch was the second big catch of the first half for Kuska, having set up his team’s first touchdown on another long-range pass caught within the Tigers’ 10.
Going into halftime, two more successful conversion plays by the Tigers had Arcata four points ahead of McKinleyville, 24-20.
Second-half play saw AHS pull ahead once more, with the Panthers fighting to stay in the game.
Similar to the first quarter, Purcell threw two more touchdowns in the team’s opening and subsequent drives. Ty Franklin handled the first touchdown of the third quarter, making a 34-yard catch. Carlson Tucker received a nine-yard pass to set the boards at 38-20.
The home team kept up its fight with an early touchdown in the fourth quarter. Connor Berg delivered the ball to the end zone with a one-yard effort.
An interception by John Randall on the next Arcata possession set the Panthers up for another touchdown. Quarterback Clancy would run the ball for a touchdown, putting a win within McKinleyville’s reach.
Arcata was not able to put the game out of McKinleyville’s reach on the following drive, giving up possession with the last three minutes of regulation ticking away.
A Purcell interception on corner ended any possible comeback from the hosts, to set the final score at 38-32.
The win not only sets AHS’ record in conference play at 5-0 but also clinches the Little 4 conference title for this season. The Tigers hold a cumulative 7-2 record in the fall 2021 season, with the team’s two losses coming in the season’s first pair of games.
McKinleyville’s conference record stopped down to 1-3 in conference play and 4-4 in the overall season.
The Link LonkOctober 31, 2021 at 05:26AM
https://www.times-standard.com/2021/10/30/prep-football-arcata-high-secures-little-4-title-in-7th-consecutive-win
Prep football | Arcata High secures Little 4 title in 7th consecutive win - Eureka Times-Standard
https://news.google.com/search?q=little&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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