Tigers break through in Mountain View

Clayton Watson scored twice and Eric Perez booted three field goals for the Tigers, now 1-5 overall and 1-2 in 1-3A Conference. Mountain View dropped to 0-7 and 0-4.

"This was a big relief for the players," Green Forest coach Jay Martin said. "They were excited to have that off their shoulders. You don't want a goose egg, especially on that side of the column."

Watson took a reverse handoff on the first play from scrimmage and raced 36 yards for Green Forest's first score after a Jordyn Mullins kickoff return put the Tigers in good field position. Eric Perez was good on the extra point as Green Forest took the early 7-0 lead.

"We took the opening kickoff and went right in with it," Martin said. "That kick return was really big and set us up."

Perez struck again to pad that lead later in the opening frame, connecting on a 36-yard field goal to put the Tigers up 10-0.

Mountain View closed the gap with a touchdown following a Green Forest fumble to cut the defect to 10-7. But Perez answered once again for the Tigers, nailing a 27-yarder for a 13-7 Tiger lead at the half.

The Tigers extended that lead in the third period when Watson corralled a 22-yard touchdown pass from Treyton Anderson and with Perez hitting the mark on the point after try, Green Forest led 20-6 entering the final stanza.

"They kept making plays and coming back at us," Martin said. "They had chances to either take a lead or tie it up but we kept playing and were able to stop them."

The Yellowjackets made a push with a touchdown drive in the fourth as Green Forest maintained a 20-14 lead but Perez sealed the win with a 42-yard effort that split the uprights through a dense fog.

"We really had a good second half," Martin said. "We ran the ball pretty hard and our blocking is getting better. Each week we continue to remove mistakes."

Kevin Jimenez was the workhorse for the Tigers offensively, carrying the ball 15 times for 70 yards. He was followed by Anderson with 21 yards on six carries, Perez with five carries for 16 yards and Cody Delozier with four rushes and 19 yards. Dalton Ewing rushed three times for nine yards.

Anderson was 5-of-13 through the air for 85 yards and a touchdown. Watson hauled in two passes for 32 yards and a score, Ewing caught one for 14 yards and Gustin Byers caught two for 39 yards.

Ewing led the defense with 11 solo stops and a pair of assists. Hector Lopez added seven solos and an assist, Perez had four solos and two assists, Johnson had four solos and an assist and Byers added four solos. Watson contributed three solos and an assist, Quinton Humbard had three solos and two assists, Hunter Ault added two solos, Armondo Cenobio had two solos and an assist and Hunter Hill chipped in with a solo stop.

The Tigers now focus their attention on Greenland this week as the Tigers host the Pirates (4-2, 3-0 in Conf. 1-3A). Greenland is coming off a bye week and currently leads the division standings.

"The biggest thing we have to do is counter their speed," Martin said. "They have a couple of big threats in the backfield and their quarterback is very skilled. We just need to prevent the big plays and play good defense."