Touchet’s speed helps them race by Tigercats, 48-36

For most of the game it was a back and forth affair until Touchet scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second half to take a league win last Friday, 48-36.

The LaCrosse-Washtucna Tigercats’ fourth straight loss ended their season hopes of advancing to the playoffs with three games remaining.

“Lack of speed is killing us,” head coach Jeff Nelson said. “Other teams have it and we don’t and if anyone breaks loose we end up giving up long touchdowns. Eight-man is a speed game. That’s nothing new.”

The Tigercats scored first in the game on a one-yard run by Sawyer Hostetler. The two-point conversion came up short.

Touchet answered with a 72-yard run for a touchdown.

In the second quarter Sam Harder took a 17-yard pass in for a score. Touchet then delivered another blow on a 74-yard pass play. They followed up with a 42-yard scoring run.

Before the half ended, the Tigercats answered with a touchdown on a nine-yard pass play from Jake Aune to Matt Stubbs.

“Every time they scored a touchdown it was a big play. We stopped them on first down and then stopped them on second down. We knew what was coming and missed a tackle and would have them get out in the open and score,” Nelson said.

In the second half the Tigercats would score twice, once in each quarter.

Stubbs found the end zone in the third quarter on a two-yard run.

In the fourth quarter Harder scored on a 12-yard pass play.

Nelson said the team’s stat keepers didn’t attend the game. As a result he didn’t have information on individual player accomplishments.

For now, the Tigercats must focus on finishing the season with a winning record.

“Now we’re playing purely for pride,” he said. “We have St. John/Endicott this week. We are rivals. This is a huge game for us. They have what hurts us. They have a couple of kids who are faster than anybody we have.”

For the game SJE comes in with a 1-4 record.

Nelson would like to have more wins, but said his team has been battling.

“Offensively we have been grinding it out, moving the ball and eating up huge chunks of time,” he said. “We’re able to move the ball in most every game consistently.”