AN EXTRA ROUND FOR TATUM, WHITE OAK | Eagles leave with playoff hopes intact, and a 50-49 win

By CLAYTON FLETCHER

WHITE OAK – Did Friday’s game here decide the fourth and final playoff spot in District 8-3A, Division I?

With a week to play, no one knows for sure just yet. But we do know this: the winner has a lot better chance of making it than the loser.

Tatum’s Brandon Howard hauled in a 9-yard pass from Grant Adcock in overtime, then Adcock scored the two-point conversion, lifting the Tatum Eagles past the White Oak Roughnecks in a scorefest, 50-49.

The standings in the district look like this: Gladewater, by virtue of its 34-18 win at Atlanta, owns the lead all by its lonesome atop the standings (8-1-0 overall and 5-0 in district play). Atlanta slips to second overall in district play (5-1, and 8-2 overall). Liberty-Eylau beat Jefferson, 35-12, on Friday night and currently sits in third (4-5 overall and 3-2 in district).

It’s cut and dried: next week, Jefferson, 2-3 in district and 5-4 overall, will visit Tatum, also 2-3 in district, but 3-6 overall. The winner will get that fourth and final playoff spot, and the loser will stay home, their season over.

Unfortunately, it looks like that’s where White Oak is, in spite of the talent coach Michael Ludlow’s Roughnecks have, and they have a lot of it. The Roughnecks simply play in a VERY tough district, and only the top four teams advance to the playoffs. It appears that White Oak is mathematically eliminated, and winless Sabine is also out, with just one week remaining in the regular season, there’s just not enough time.

Friday night in White Oak, in a game between two programs that are both in the ETBlitz.com coverage area, White oak’s Roughnecks and Tatum’s Eagles got it on to see who’s season is continuing past next week.

Tatum got first crack at the football, but went three-and-out.

After a punt by Adcock, the Roughnecks would have it at their own 34.  A run by Kenny Poul started the drive, but then ‘Necks quarterback Jaxsen Ludlow found Tysen McClain to move it to the Eagles’ 35-yard-line. The next two plays were bittersweet: a run by Ludlow, followed by second-down drop-back – and then a sack. by DaMarion Tolbert.

After a pair of runs from Ludlow, the Roughnecks would settle for a 41-yard field goal by Brady Prazak, leaving White Oak up 3-0, with 7:40 left in the first quarter.

The Eagles would try and answer back, but a fumble would give the Roughnecks the ball back.

They would make the Eagles pay for the mistake, as they drove down the field on the legs of Ludlow. But it would be Poul that would punch it in from 2 yards out. Prazak kicked the extra point through, and with 6:42 left in the first quarter, it put White Oak in front, 10-0.

The Eagles would go three-and-out again but they would get some help from their defense, as Alijah Williams picked off Ludlow and took it all the way back to the house for the score. The point after was up and good by Kody Hines and closed the gap, so to speak. White Oak still led, but 107, with 3:37 left in the first quarter.

After a Roughneck punt, the Eagles would also punt and bring the first quarter to an end, White Oak up 10-7.

White Oak would make good on their drive as Ludlow carried the load again. He found McClain a few times through the air, and the Roughnecks settled for the 40-yard field goal by Prazak, and a 13-7 White Oak advantage with 8:07 left in the half.

Tatum answered with a score of its own.

Adcock connected with Quincy Davis and Issac McAlister, and then Ty Moore capped it off with a 10-yard score. Hines added the extra point, and gave Tatum its first lead of the night (14-13) with 5:37 left in the half.

The ‘Necks came back quickly, though.

Ludlow returned the kick 70 yards for the score. The point after by Prazak got blocked, leaving the Roughnecks in front, 19-14, still with five minutes  left in the half.

The Eagles would answer with runs by Moore and Kyson George, but none bigger than the 10-yarder from Adcock, getting in the end zone. The extra point failed, but Tatum was back in front, 20-19 with 3:46 left in the second quarter.

White Oak had one more score before the break: Ludlow hit McClain from 16 yards out for a score. Prazak was good on the kick, and the ‘Necks went to the locker room for the break up by six, 26-20.

The Roughnecks would get the ball to start the second half, but would give it to Tatum after a turnover on downs. The Eagles would make them pay after runs by Adcock, Moore, and Dameon Pippens. The Eagles would have it at the White Oak 17-yard-line, where Adcock would take it in for the score. The point after by Hines was good, making it 27-26 Tatum, with 6:07 left in the third.

It was far from over.

White Oak would try and answer back, but Ludlow’s pass was picked off by Patrick Portley.

The Roughnecks’ defense forced a three-and-out, but the punt would be muffed and recovered by Pippens at the White Oak. Adcock would find McAlister for the 15-yard touchdown pass. Another extra point by Hines was good, upping the score to 34-26 Tatum, with 2:04 left in the third. After back-to-back runs by Poul, the game headed to the fourth quarter, Tatum up by that score.

Poul would get the call from 5 yards out, putting it in the endzone for the touchdown. The conversion try was no good, leaving the Eagles in front by two (34-32), with 11:27 remaining.

After a Tatum punt, the Roughnecks would look to take the lead and they would, on a 28-yard field goal by Prazak. White Oak was in front, 35-34 White Oak, with 2:46 remaining in the game.

Adcock scored on a 12-yard run (42-35 Tatum) with 2:24 remaining. But the Roughnecks would answer and answer fast. As Ludlow would find his man, Logan Ladwig, for a 69-yard bomb. The kick by Prazak was good, making it 42-all with two minutes left. Time ran out in regulation, still knotted at 42.

In overtime, White Oak got the ball first and Poul would take it in for the score. Prazak hit the point after and the ‘Necks were back in front, 49-42.

Tatum looked to answer the bell and they did. And after three runs, the Eagles got the ball at the 9-yard-line.

As mentioned to open this story, Adcock would hit Howard with a 9-yard touchdown. Coach Keeling said, “We are not going to play anymore football,” as the Eagles lined up for the two-point conversion and the win. Adcock would get the call and run to his left, finding paydirt for the conversion and the win, keeping the Eagles’ playoff hopes alive.

Tatum finishes the regular season, as mentioned, at home against Jefferson. White Oak finishes the 2025 season at district leader Gladewater, both next Friday night.