Timpson John Herbert Eakin Bears Stadium on Friday, September 6, 2024 –
The Timpson Bears varsity football team came out on top in a pre-conference game which saw them outscore the Lovelady Lions 50-48 points when the final buzzer sounded. The game saw 10 lead changes after the contest started out scoreless for the first 16 ½ minutes.
Timpson senior defensive lineman Londell Parker scooped and scored a Lion’s fumble for the Bear’s first touchdown from 50 yards out with 7:30 minutes left in the second quarter. Sophomore kicker Alexis Castillo added an extra point kick to give the Bears a 7-0 point lead.
The Lions second drive ended with them punting the ball back to the Bears after just five plays but THS returned the favor when they fumbled the ball back to LHS at the Bears 19-yardline. Lions senior runningback Cortavies Whitaker wasted no time and took a handoff into the endzone for a 19-yard score with 4:52 left in the second stanza. The Lions quarterback senior Lance Pierce hit senior Kye Terry for a 2-point conversion reception and Lovelady led 8-7.
Bears senior quarterback JJ Garner gave Timpson a 13-8 point lead when he took the first down snap for a 62-yard touchdown. Castillo kicked an extra point and the Bears led 14-8 with 4:38 left in the second frame. This score held up for the rest of the first half of play.
Fireworks started early in the third quarter as Garner went 58 yards for a touchdown run and another Castillo extra point gave THS a 21-8 advantage with 11:12 left in the third quarter.
The Lions scored the next two touchdowns in the third period and they led the Bears 24-21 late in the third quarter.
Garner found Bears receiver Braylon Parker for a 19-yard scoring strike which reclaimed the lead for THS and the Bears took a narrow 28-24 lead with 1:52 left in the third quarter.
Whitaker scored on a 32-yard touchdown run early in the fourth frame and LHS gained a 32-28 lead. Just moments later Garner scored a 55-yard touchdown to give Timpson a 35-32 lead with 10:36 left in the game.
Lovelady went on a 55-yard scoring drive which took over three minutes off the clock and ended when Whitaker added a 3-yard touchdown run to his resume and gave LHS a 40-35 lead with 7:20 left in the contest.
Garner helped give Timpson a 43-40 lead on a 16-yard keeper run for a score with 4:49 left to play. Lovelady answered with yet another Whitaker scoring run which gave LHS a narrow 46-43 lead with 1:49 left in the game.
The Bears answered when Braylon Parker returned the ensuing kickoff 67-yards for a Timpson touchdown and gave the Bears a 50-46 lead with 1:39 remaining. Lovelady caught Timpson in the endzone for a safety to pull within two points of the Bears at 50-48 with 8 seconds left to play. The Timpson Bears held off the Lovelady offense on a desperation play from midfield to end the game as time expired.
The Bears, now 2-0 for the season, will host Palestine-Westwood at Eakin Stadium on Friday, September 13, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. The Panthers are 2-0 and defeated the visiting San Augustine Wolves 56-0 on Friday.
