By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
Though the West Carter Comets have come within reach of a win in their last two games, the team just hasn’t been able to snatch that first W of the season.
The Comets suffered another close loss last week on the road at Floyd Central, finishing the game with just a point difference and a score of 27-28. This loss leaves the team at 0 for 3 following a 21-22 loss to Estill County at home the previous week and a 10-20 loss on their season opener against Pike County Central.
It’s not the kind of start to the season the Comets wanted to see, but if they continue with the steady progress we’ve seen over the last three games, we could see the team add a win to that total really soon.
Floyd Central
Dwaylon Dean (RB, S), a junior, gave the Comets three of their touchdowns against Floyd Central, with sophomore Hayden Hall (QB, DB) adding another. Sophomore Martin Wyatt (PK, P) added a point with a good kick and junior Kale Back (QB, S) ran in another two points.
Hall had three pass completions, for 74 yards, with senior Isaiah Bond (WR, CB, S) receiving all three of those passes.
Dean rushed for 269 yards on 31 attempts and sophomore Kadin Thompson (RB, LB) added another 11 yards on two attempts.
On defense, Bond led in tackles with five solo and six assists, followed by Dean with four solo, three assists, Tabor Tackett with one and six, Peyton Walker with one and five, Jacob Waddell with one and three assists, Trace Rivers with three and one, Ethan Bledsoe with three and one, Hunter Reffitt with one and three, Back with two solo and one assist, Derek Williams with three assists, Thompson with two solo tackles, Landon Calliham with one and one, and Elijah Nolen with one assist.
Rivers also added an interception to the Comets’ numbers, for a 15 yard return.
Estill County
The previous week against the Estill County Engineers it was Dean who gave the Comets all three of their touchdowns, and Wyatt all three of their extra points in a nailbiter of a game where the Comets came back from an early game lull only to have victory snatched from their grasps in the closing minutes of the game.
Estill County got on the boards with just under three minutes left in the first quarter, after gaining yardage on a penalty call on the Comets for roughing the passer.
West started the second quarter with possession, and Thompson giving them a first down on a 34 yard gain, but the Comets weren’t able to capitalize on that burst, turning the ball over to Estill on downs.
After a back and forth second quarter, Dean delivered for the Comets again, rushing for 60 yards to put West Carter back in the game, with Wyatt’s kick putting the Comets ahead, 7-6.
But it didn’t take Estill long to respond, and make good on their two point conversion, taking the score to 7-14.
As the third quarter wrapped up, Dean and Wyatt brought the scores level again with just 1:41 left on the clock, making it anyone’s game as they went into the final quarter.
The Comets pulled themselves into the lead again at the 7 minute mark on the back of some impressive team football, with Dean and Wyatt bringing the score to 21-14. It was a lead it looked like the Comets might hold onto after a strong Comets defense, and a call for unsportsmanlike conduct on Estill, forced the Engineers to fight for every yard.
But the visitors were able to make incremental gains – driving their way to second and goal at the one yard line with just over a minute left in the game. After scoring to come within a point of the Comets, the Engineers took a gamble that paid off, connecting on the two point conversion for the win, with a final score of West Carter 21 – Estill County 22, despite a valiant effort by the Comets to take advantage of that final minute.
Hall had six completions against Estill for 74 yards in that game, connecting with Back for 29, Waddell for 22, Bond twice for a total of 10, Rivers for 7, and Coy Maddix for 6. Dean led in rushing with 156 yards on 21 attempts, follow by Thompson with 35 yards on eight goes, and Hall losing 11 yards on two attempts.
Hunter Reffitt (OL, DT) recovered one fumble, and Waddell had an interception for a 32 yard return.
Next
The Comets host Powell County this Friday, before traveling to East Carter on September 22 for the Battle for the Barrel.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com