Week One Team of the Week: Wharton Tigers
Wharton had the most improbable victory of any team in the state on Friday night.
However, it didn’t look like they’d have to come from behind for the longest time. A 12-yard touchdown run by Nick Gutierrez had the Tigers up 6-0 against Houston Washington for most of the evening.
But in the fourth quarter, Washington came up with a 39-yard touchdown and two-point conversion to snatch away the lead from the Tigers.
With 12 seconds left and the ball at Wharton’s own 42 yard line, the Tigers needed a miracle.
Enter JaCorric Allen.
The junior quarterback rolled right after feeling pressure from the Washington defensive line. But instead of heaving it down field, he took off down the sideline. Weaving through Washington defenders, he showed off his speed, breaking free for a 58-yard touchdown as time expired to win the game for Wharton.
“It’s was a very exciting play that took a lot of heart and guts to pull off,” Wharton head coach Alvin Dotson said. “JaCorric is a very special athlete and one of the fastest in the state. That play will go down in Wharton history.”
Next up for the Tigers, they will take on Houston Worthing on Saturday Sep. 2 as they look to start the season 2-0 for the first time since 2015.
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