BEARS ARE FOR REAL | Gladewater wins again, but Tatum not out of playoff hunt

GLADEWATER – With “run” being the operative word at Jack Murphy Stadium Friday night, Gladewater kept its record perfect in District 8-3A, Division I.

And Tatum took a loss, although it’s not back-breaking.

Coach Jermaine Lewis’s Bears ran, and ran, and ran and ran and ran on Friday to the tune of a 33-6 victory in district play. Jeremiah Flanagan had three touchdowns for Gladewater in the contest, and Carsin Cooper and Tray Watts also got several opportunities with the ball.

That keeps the Bears, in Lewis’s first season, unbeaten in district (4-0) and moved them to 7-1 overall, their one loss by just one point (to West Rusk last month). With an open date this coming Friday, Gladewater has just two games left: at Atlanta on Oct. 31, and at home against White Oak on Nov. 7.

Tatum (2-5 overall) dropped to 1-2 with the loss, but has already had its open date. The Eagles, coached by multiple state title-winner Whitney Keeling, will host Atlanta this coming Friday, make the trek to White Oak on Oct. 31, and then finish the regular season with a home game against Jefferson.

Gladewater scored on the game’s opening possession, a 1-yard run by Flanagan. The Bears put together a nice 76-yard drive, including a fourth-down conversion pass from Achilles Hess to Maddaxx Vasquez.

Jakobe Crosby completed a pass to Preston Adams for the two-point conversion and an early 8-0 lead for Gladewater.

Tatum’s first drive allowed the crowd to see a big dose of running back Brandon Howard and quarterback Grant Adcock, also keeping the offense on the ground. Adcock got free for a nice gain, and was aided by a flag on Gladewater, setting Tatum up at the Bears’ 21-yard-line. Howard fought his way inside the Gladewater 5, and then Adcock scored on the next play. The extra point was missed, but Tatum was on the scoreboard, an 8-6 game with 3:44 still remaining in the opening quarter.

A pass from Hess to Kayson Harris moved the Bears over the midfield stripe and into Tatum territory, a first down at Tatum’s 46. Out of the option, Cooper got the pitch, taking it to Tatum’s 26.

It looked like Tatum had came up with a big play when Hess was sacked, but instead, a 15-yard personal foul flag was thrown. That moved the ball to Tatum’s 11. After a pass to Vasquez, Flanagan scored on the next play, and after the extra point, with only 30 seconds off the second-quarter clock the Bears led, 15-6, the eventual halftime score.

A fumble on the kickoff of the second half allowed Gladewater to take over at Tatum’s 45. Carsin Cooper proved to be a dangerous man for the Bears, reeling off runs of 11 yards (to the Tatum 36,) an 23 yards (to the Eagles’ 13). A pass interference penalty on fourth down inside the 10-yard-line allowed Gladewater a new set of downs, and Flanagan would score again, this time on a 2-yard run, his third of the night. After the conversion, Gladewater claimed a 23-6 lead with nine minutes still remaining in the third quarter.

Trailing by three scores, Tatum went for a fourth-down conversion at its own 37, but failed. It appeared Gladewater was set up, but Hess was intercepted by Arp’s Alijah Williams at Tatum’s own 15.

Adcock suddenly had the Eagles on the move, a pick-up of about 21 to Tatum’s 36, and then with a personal foul on the Bears, Tatum was set up with a first down at midfield.

Landen King, though, would intercept Howard on a trick play by the Eagles. No points were scored off the turnover, and off they went to the fourth quarter.

A blocked punt by Gladewater and returned by King to Tatum’s 14 allowed the Bears to add a 30-yard field goal (Korbin Sergio), and up their lead to 26-6, with 9:36 left in the game.

No other points were scored until 40 seconds left, when Grafton Morgan scored a 2-yard touchdown. The point after was good, for the final score.