The Willow Springs Bears played host to the Salem Tigers Friday night for homecoming.
The Bears came into the game 2-3 on the season. The Tigers were 0-5.
The Tigers fumbled early, and the Bears recovered in Tiger territory. The Bears promptly threw an interception, and the Tigers returned it for a touchdown. The Tigers failed the two-point conversion. 6-0 Tigers at the end of the first quarter.
The Tigers quickly added another touchdown early in the second quarter, and failed to convert after the touchdown. 12-0 Tigers. The Tigers put another touchdown on the board with five minutes left in the first half. After completing the two-point conversion, the Tigers took a 20-0 lead into halftime.
The third quarter was quiet. Neither team scored.
To start the fourth, the Tigers threw an interception into the end zone, but the Bears’ defender who intercepted the pass emerged from the end zone, only to be tackled near the Bears’ own one-yard line. Had he gone down in the end zone, the ball would’ve been on the 20.
It didn’t matter, as two Tigers’ penalties brought the ball to the Bears’ 20 anyway. The Bears threw a long touchdown to get their first points on the board. It ended an 11-quarter scoring drought for the Bears over the course of three games. 20-6 Tiger lead with 6:44 left in the game.
The Tigers quickly responded with a touchdown and a two-point conversion with 3:10 left in the game. 28-6 Tigers in the lead.
The Bears marched down the field, and scored a touchdown with just seconds left in the game. The Bears scored on the two-point conversion, bringing the score to 28-14 with less than 30 seconds left in the game. After a failed onside kick from the Bears, the Tigers ran out the remaining time on the clock.
The Tigers defeated the Bears 28-14.
Next week, the Bears travel to Houston to take on a different team named Tigers.
