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Sulphur Springs thumps Mount Pleasant, 63-28

Texas High School Helmet Project

After an early-season stumble, Sulphur Springs has shifted into high gear just in time for the District 14-4A schedule. The Wildcats rolled over Mount Pleasant 63-28 at Gerald Prim Stadium in Sulphur Springs on Oct. 11 in the district opener for both teams.

“Offensively, they had all they could handle with (running back) Willy (Ivery),” Sulphur Springs coach Greg Owens said. “Willy and (quarterback) Larry (Pryor) did a fantastic job. I thought we controlled the front with the O-line, so they did a super job with all that,” Owens said.

Ivery rumbled for seven touchdowns, including a 55-yard run on the opening drive of the third quarter that helped put the game out of reach.

“We came out in the second, took the ball down the field and scored like we wanted to do - I think it kind of put the nail in the coffin when we scored on that first possession of the second half,” Owens said. “Things just kind of snowballed on Mount Pleasant and we just kept building the lead.”

Sulphur Springs led 46-21 at halftime. With Mount Pleasant needing defensive stops and points in the third quarter to stay in the game, the Wildcats shut the door on the Tigers with that run and another touchdown by Larry Pryor.

“We played terrible,” Mount Pleasant head coach Mart Graham said.

“I’m not going to set here and say it any other way,” Graham said. “Football’s a game of want-to. If you don’t want to, you’re not going to tackle, you’re not going to block. You’ve got to want to. We didn’t do a very good job of it. Sulphur Springs came out to play and they whupped our butts and that’s all there is to it.”

Pressed to find any positive from tonight’s game, Graham cited a lack of new injuries.

“It’s the first time we didn’t get somebody hurt,” Graham said. “We’re so beat up, it’s unbelievable.”

Mount Pleasant wide receiver K.D. Cannon scored two touchdowns and displayed flashes of the game-breaking ability that he possesses, but Mount Pleasant’s offense was inconsistent otherwise.

“K.D. didn’t get loose on us,” Owens said. “We did a pretty good job on that….We kind of forced them to be one-dimensional and have to throw the ball.”

The high-scoring effort from the Wildcats echoed last year’s game, won 71-65 by Sulphur Springs at Mount Pleasant. The victory was the Wildcats’ 11th consecutive against the Tigers. Since 1980, Sulphur Springs owns a 22-12 advantage in the series. 

The Wildcats (4-2, 1-0) have not lost since a 61-22 defeat on Sept. 13 to state-ranked Whitehouse. The Tigers (3-3, 0-1) have not won since a 77-34 victory over Terrell on that same Friday night. Both teams entered tonight’s game coming off a bye week. Mount Pleasant visits Marshall next weekend, while Sulphur Springs will travel to Texarkana to face Texas High.  

Sulphur Springs 63, Mount Pleasant 28

Mount Pleasant                                7              14           0              7              -              28

Sulphur Springs                 25           21           14           3              -              63

First quarter

SS_Willy Ivery 1 run (run failed)

MP_Luke Craddick 2 run (Andrew Flanagan kick)

SS_Ivery 49 run (Ryan Watson kick)

SS_Ivery 5 run (run failed)

SS_Ivery 46 pass from Larry Pryor (run failed)

Second quarter

MP_K.D. Cannon 43 pass from Grubbs (Flanagan kick)

SS_Ivery 23 run (Watson kick)

MP_Cannon 54 run (Brito kick)

SS_Ivery 67 run (Watson kick)

SS_Pryor 1 run (Watson kick)

Third quarter

SS_Ivery 55 run (Watson kick)

SS_Pryor 7 run (Watson kick)

Fourth quarter

SS_Watson 30 FG

MP_Cannon 9 pass from Joseph Griffin (Flanagan kick)

Mark Haslett has served at KETR since 2013. Since then, the station's news operation has enjoyed an increase in listener engagement and audience metrics, as well recognition in the Texas AP Broadcasters awards.