HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Thompson, Kinman spark Graham's victory against Springtown
GRAHAM — The Springtown Porcupines successfully ran the ball for significant gains in the first half against the Graham Steers at Newton Field on Friday night. However, the Porcupines didn’t have as much success passing the ball early in the contest.
Graham’s Peyton Kinman intercepted two consecutive throws by Springtown quarterback Hudson Hulett, ending the Porcupines first two drives of the contest, and the Steers took advantage on the way to a comfortable 36-15 victory.
“The quarterback was too predictable,” a confident Kinman said. “I read his eyes. I noticed he was staring down the receivers, so I took advantage of it.”
“He’s a two-way player, and he’s very instinctive,” Graham coach Kenny Davidson added about his senior who plays at wide receiver and defensive back.
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Kinman’s two interceptions weren’t surprising, considering he’s the Steers’ leading receiver. But the rushing attack of Graham quarterback Ty Thompson surprised some in attendance.
The junior was the team’s leading rusher, and his 88 yards and three touchdowns helped the Steers build a comfortable lead at the half.
Thompson’s first touchdown run was one for the highlight reel. He was flushed out of the pocket by Springtown’s pass rush, scrambled to his right, juked a would-be tackler, stiff-armed another would-be tackler, and ran 49 yards for the score while staring down the defender.
“He’s a big, strong guy,” Davidson said. “Ty is a good all-around kid and very dedicated. He’s a good leader, does things right, and plays four sports for us.”
Thompson’s third touchdown run of the night showcased his experience and intelligence. Once again, the junior scrambled away from the oncoming rush. Thompson saw a defender approaching and executed a pump fake that froze the defensive back, allowing Thompson to stroll for a 20-yard touchdown.
“That’s what a quarterback should do,” Davidson said. “They need to have their eyes beyond the line of scrimmage and see the whole field. I trust Ty. He’s a smart guy and has a lot of experience.”
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What excited Thompson the most was ending the Steers’ four-game losing streak to Springtown.
“We’ve been pretty excited for this game,” Thompson said. “(The streak) was talked about a lot this week. It was a long week of practice, and we were getting after it in practice and getting yelled at a lot. But we came out of it with a win.”
“We knew (Springtown) was going to be a tough opponent,” Davidson said. “I circled this game on our calendar because it’s always hard-fought, and we hadn’t been very successful recently.”
GRAHAM 36, SPRINGTOWN 15
Springtown 8 0 0 7 -15
Graham 14 19 0 3 -36
FIRST QUARTER
G – Rylan Monsey 12 run (Jace Gill kick), 8:47
G – Ty Thompson 49 run (Gill kick), 5:28
S – Nathan Johnson 16 run (Hudson Hulett run), 2:03
SECOND QUARTER
G – Thompson 6 run (Gill kick), 10:30
G – Thompson 20 run (pass failed), 2:10
G – Landon Bass 7 fumble return (pass failed), 1:03
FOURTH QUARTER
G – FG, Gill 32, 8:25
S – Hulett 1 run (Bryce Smith kick), 1:32
TEAM STATS
First downs: (S) 18; (G) 16
Rushing: (S) 44-326; (G) 34-194
Passing: (S) 10-25-4—43; (G) 16-27-0—111
Punting: (S) 3-31.3; (G) 5-32.6
Fumbles: (S) 3-2; (G) 2-1
Penalties: (S) 12-124; (G) 5-34
INDIVIDUAL STATS
RUSHING: (Springtown) Drake Doggett 13-137, Nathan Johnson 15-120, Hudson Hulett 15-95, Team 1-(-26). (Graham) Ty Thompson 15-98.
PASSING: (Springtown) Hulett 10-25-4—43. (Graham) Thompson 16-27-0—111.
RECEIVING: (Springtown) Dylan Crutchfield 4-26, Doggett 2-9, Kelby Castro 1-9, Brayden Fox 1-0, Braydon Butler 1-(-1). (Graham) Peyton Kinman 7-43, Hayden Horn 4-40, Brayden Riggins 3-20, Jace Gill 1-0.
RECORDS: Springtown 0-2, Graham 2-0
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Springtown Porcupines at Graham Steers high school football final score
