Whitwell junior Bennett McDougal expected a hard-fought game Friday night at Sale Creek, and he provided a performance to meet the demand in a key Region 3-1A contest.
McDougal scored all three touchdowns for his team as the Tigers, with a state ranking of No. 6 in TSSAA Class 1A, picked up a 20-8 victory against the No. 9 Panthers.
On a night when Sale Creek (3-2, 1-1) was dedicating its field to former coach Ron Cox, the Panthers showed toughness throughout the game on offense and defense. But costly mistakes — including two interceptions by Khari Escobar — kept the home team from getting the win.
“I knew it was going to be a physical game,” McDougal said. “We knew they were going to bring their ‘A’ game, so I just brought mine as well. I told my team that every single play we should win, and that’s what we did.”
McDougal opened the scoring for the visitors with a 2-yard run midway through the first quarter. On Sale Creek’s next possession, Escobar threw an interception, setting up the Tigers (5-0, 2-0) for a 69-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Easterly to McDougal.