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ARLINGTON - The Forney Jackrabbits, struggling desperately to just stay on the field in the early going, weathered the storm and staged a strong comeback to take an 8-7 bi-district victory over the Kirkpatrick Wildcats here Friday night.
The Wildcats took the opening kickoff and immediately gained control of the game. They looked unstoppable and during that first drive they were.
Kirkpatrick used 14 plays, all the rushing variety, to slam 71 yards for a touchdown. Rapid Melvin Gardner and Sturdy Isiah Brown gained all but seven of the necessary yards between them.
One of those yards they didn't gain was the final one, however. It remained for quarterback Michael Burleson to slip in for the six points with 6:09 gone in the contest. Alonzo Smith's kick was true to make it 7-0.
Henceforth, the Forney defense came alive led by rapid charging David Costello. Never again was the Kirkpatrick offense to be as consistently devastating as it was during that first quarter.
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Yardstick
...................... Forney - Kirpatrick
First Downs ............. 21 ........ 15
Rushing Yardage ........ 271 ....... 209
Passing Yardage ......... 27 ........ 81
Passes ................. 2-6 ...... 6-13
Passes Intercepted by .... 1 ......... 1
Fumbles Lost ............. 3 ......... 2
Punts ............... 2-33.5 .... 3-28.0
Yards Penalized ....... 1-15 ...... 7-70
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The Jackrabbits got their only touchdown the first time they handled the ball in the second half, taking the kickoff and marching 76 yards in 12 ground plays for the tally.
Hard-working fullback Earl O'Daniel, the game's leading ground gainer with 142 yards in 30 carries, toted it seven times during the touchdown march and he got the score up the middle from six yards out.
Quarterback Alan McCuistion, who proved a cool leader for the Jackrabbits, contributed a pair of key runs - one a 19 yard gain to get the move going and another 13-yard burst on fourth down needing one.
The winning points were scored by Ray Perkerson on a quick dash around the left side. He barely got into the end zone for the two pointer after the touchdown.
Forney almost scored the next time it had the ball. O'Daniel's 46-yard dash to the Kirkpatrick 12 set the Rabbits up in fine shape but Kirkpatrick held.
The Jackrabbits played ball control in the second half, running 42 plays against only 15 for the Wildcats. The Jackrabbits had the ball inside the Kirkpatrick five-yard-line as the game ended.
Forney will play San Saba, 9-3 winner of Decatur, in the next playoff round.
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