It was a perfect start to the football season for Coach Chris Ezell and the Trigg County Wildcats on Friday as they rolled to a 54-0 win over Ohio County in the Wildcat Chevrolet Bowl at Purdue Field. The 54-point margin was the largest for Trigg County in both a season opener or any game since a 56-0 win over Ballard Memorial five years ago.
Trigg scored three touchdowns on its first three touches of the game. Timmy Williams took a pitch and went 62 yards around the right side for Trigg’s first touchdown of the game. It was the second time in four years that the Wildcats had begun their season with a touchdown on their first play.
It was the only touch of the game for Williams, who started last season at quarterback but suffered a season-ending knee injury in Trigg County’s second game.
After Ohio County went 3-and-out on its ensuing possession, Davaree Gude rumbled 21 yards for Trigg’s second touchdown of the game. Ohio County punted the ball back to Trigg County, and Caden Scott connected with Peyton Williams on a 95-yard pitch and catch that put the Wildcats ahead 19-0.
The 95-yard scoring play is believed to be a school record, eclipsing the 94-yard pass from Dan Moser to Justin Martin in 2000.
Trigg rounded out the scoring in the first quarter when Ahmari Alexander dove in from the one-yard line, and the two-point conversion pass to Brody Renfroe gave the Wildcats a 27-0 lead.
Trigg County tacked on a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter to initiate the running clock. Gude scored on runs of 63 yards and one yard for a 40-0 halftime lead. Gude, who ran for over 1,600 yards last year, had 116 yards on just five carries Friday. It was part of a 250-yard rushing effort for the Wildcats, who averaged nearly 11 yards a carry.
Peyton Williams opened the second half scoring when he returned the opening kickoff 80 yards to the end zone. The Wildcats closed out the scoring on a three-yard run by Deon Edison, with 11:50 left.
Scott was 5 of 6 passing for 184 yards as the Wildcats had 434 yards of total offense.
Trigg County’s defense was also up to the task, limiting the Eagles to just two yards of offense and minus 22 yards rushing. It didn’t help that Ohio County lost both its starting quarterback and starting running back to injury in the first half, and neither returned to the game.
The matchup was the first-ever meeting between the schools and was the first game of the Wildcat Chevrolet Bowl. Clarksville Northwest defeated Fort Campbell 53-13 in the nightcap.
Trigg County will host Hart County next week. The Raiders lost to Logan County 19-15, suffering their first regular-season loss in two years. The only other time Trigg and Hart have met was in the 2022 playoffs in Mumfordville, with Hart County claiming a 43-36 win.
Ohio County has lost 17 straight games dating back to the 2023 season and will look to snap that streak next week at Butler County.
