By Brayleigh Boggs
Carter County Times
Week one of high school football kicked off with West Carter earning a dominant 49-6 win over Lewis County to open the season at 1-0.
The Comets opened with a slow start, punting on their first possession. Lewis County took over but came up short on fourth down, giving West Carter the ball once again. The Comets also stalled on their second drive, failing to convert on fourth down deep in Lions territory.
Momentum shifted moments later. A bad snap by Lewis County led to a safety, putting West Carter on the board first, 2-0.
Following the safety, Trip Lemaster (23) returned the kickoff for a seven-yard gain. West Carter started gaining traction with a 25-yard pass from Hayden Hall (15) to Weston Kiser (3). Hall then advanced the ball on the ground with a nine-yard carry. A delay of game penalty backed them up five yards, but Kadin Thompson (1) picked up the first down with an eight-yard reception.
Peyton Walker (22) finished the drive with a three-yard touchdown reception, extending the lead to 9-0.
Lewis County responded with an early first down on their next possession, but the drive stalled and ended in a punt. West Carter quickly returned to scoring position with a 47-yard run by Hayden Hall (15), setting the Comets up at the one-yard line. Nathan Flannery (0) powered it in for the touchdown, making it 15-0.
On the following drive, Connor Oney (2) recorded a tackle for loss, and the Lions were once again forced to punt. West Carter took over but was stopped short, turning the ball over on downs. Lewis County’s next series was hampered by penalties, pushing them back to their own 10-yard line.
The Comets regained possession at midfield. A pass from Hall to Weston Kiser (3) brought them down to the 15-yard line, but the clock ran out to end the first half with West Carter up 15-0.
Lewis County received the ball to open the second half and attempted to switch up its offensive scheme. However, they remained scoreless. West Carter fumbled on their opening possession, giving the Lions a chance to cut into the deficit.
Lewis took advantage. A screen pass to Braylon Puente (1) set them up at the five-yard line. A few plays later, quarterback Ryan Wolfe (11) scrambled into the end zone. The two-point attempt was no good, and the score stood at 15-6.
West Carter responded quickly. Hayden Hall (15) connected on a 30-yard pass to Landon Callihan (11). An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Lewis County advanced the Comets to the 15. A few plays later, Hall found Peyton Walker (22) for a 13-yard touchdown—his second of the night.
Kicker Wyatt Martin (13) followed up with a successful onside kick, and the Comets retained possession. Nathan Flannery (0) carried the ball twice for a combined 45 yards, finishing with another touchdown to extend the lead.
In the next series, Landon Callihan (11) intercepted a pass and returned it 36 yards for a pick-six. On the following Lions drive, Will Caudill (10) picked off another pass and returned it 10 yards to set the Comets up in scoring range again.
Nathaniel Hale (24) kept the offense rolling with a 20-yard touchdown run, further widening the gap. Defensively, West Carter closed strong, forcing multiple tackles for loss and maintaining control.
To seal the game, Nathaniel Hale (24) added one final 20-yard touchdown run, bringing the game to its final score: West Carter 49, Lewis County 6.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
