Shelbyville Dragons Stadium on Friday, September 13, 2024 –
On Friday Shelbyville High School hosted Waskom ISD for Shelbyville’s 2024 Football Homecoming game. Fans from the Shelbyville Dragons and Waskom Wildcats communities purchased tickets for whole seats at the game but left only having used the edge as the game came down to the final play with the Dragons winning 54-48.
The Dragons took the first possession early and went 65 yards in 4 minutes to score when senior quarterback DJ Barnes scored on a 9-yard keeper run for the game’s first touchdown. Freshman kicker Edwin Vasquez added an extra point kick to give Shelbyville a 7-0 point advantage with 8:12 left in the first quarter.
Waskom answered just moments later when junior runningback Joe Irving went 70 yards for a Wildcats score and junior kicker/quarterback Chris Hernandez added the extra point kick to tie the game at 7-7 with 6:48 remaining in the first period.
Barnes hit Dragons senior receiver Tannor Doggett for a 48-yard reception which gave SHS the ball at the Wildcats 10 yardline. Barnes scored on a touchdown run with 5:55 left in the first stanza and Vasquez added the extra point kick to give the Dragons a 14-7 lead.
Irving went 80-yards for a kickoff return for a touchdown to help the Wildcats tie the game at 14-14 at the 5:39 minute mark.
On the Dragons next possession, Barnes hit sophomore receiver Hunter Harvey for a 53-yard reception which set up a 22-yard touchdown run by sophomore Ronnie Williams. An extra point attempt was blocked but Shelbyville led 20-14 with 2:11 left in the first quarter.
Waskom junior runningback Nate Espy tied the game at 20-20 with a 4-yard touchdown run with 11:12 left in the second period. An extra point kick by Hernandez gave WHS a narrow 21-20 lead.
Waskom extended their lead when Irving stepped in front of a Dragons pass, intercepted it, and ran for a 91-yard touchdown on the return. An extra point saw Waskom lead 28-20 with 9:40 remaining in the second period.
Barnes scored on a 24-yard quarterback keeper run but the extra point attempt was blocked. SHS trailed 26-28 with 7:16 left before halftime. The Dragons regained possession five minutes later and Barnes scored on an 18-yard touchdown run. A 2-point conversion reception from Barnes to Doggett gave the Dragons a 34-28 with two minutes left before the half.
Dragons junior linebacker Mac Collins recovered a Wildcat fumble early in the second half and Barnes hit junior Aiden Shields for a 34-yard scoring strike. Harvey converted the Dragons 2-point attempt and SHS held a 42-28 advantage with 5:56 left in the third frame.
A 3-yard touchdown run by Espy pulled Waskom to within 35-28 after an extra point with 4:45 left in the third quarter.
Shelbyville went on a 63-yard scoring drive which saw Williams score on a 3-yard run which helped give SHS a 48-35 lead with 1:13 left in the third stanza.
Waskom recovered a fumble near midfield early in the fourth frame. Espy scored on a 51-yard romp and cut the Dragon’s lead to 48-42 with 4:12 remaining in the fourth period. Senior Wildcat Kelton Williams intercepted a Dragons pass to give WHS the football at the their own 33 yardline. On first down Williams went 66 yards for a Wildcats score which tied the game at 48-48, after a missed extra point attempt, with 3:22 minutes left in the game.
The Dragons went 72 yards and the drive ended with Barnes hitting Harvey at the front corner of the endzone for the winning 40-yard touchdown reception after the buzzer had expired. The Dragons won 54-48 and they are now 3-0 this season. Shelbyville will next travel to Mount Enterprise to face the Wildcats on Friday, September 20, 2024 at 7 p.m. The Wildcats are 3-0 after beating Maud on the road this week by a 44-16 score.
