Curtis Higgins couldn’t have asked for a quicker start in his return to the Trigg County sideline.
The Wildcats scored six touchdowns in the first quarter Friday and rolled past Caverna 65-19 in the opening game of the Wildcat Chevrolet Bowl at Perdue Field.
It was Higgins’ first game as Trigg County’s head coach since 2006. He won 69 games during his first stint with the Wildcats from 1999 through 2006 before returning to the program this year.
One of his first priorities was getting more players in uniform. That progress was easy to see on Friday. Trigg dressed 48 players after ending the 2025 season with only 23 in uniform.
Caverna made the trip to Cadiz with just 15 players dressed.
The Purple Colonels were a late addition to the bowl after Ohio County backed out of the second year of its agreement to play in the event. Trigg beat Ohio County 54-0 in last year’s opener.
This one got away from Caverna just as quickly.
Zamarrion Broussard returned the opening kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown, putting Trigg ahead only 15 seconds into the season.
The Wildcats scored again 17 seconds later when Caden Scott found Brody Calhoun for a 15-yard touchdown pass.
Then came the first big play from the running game. Deon Edison broke loose for a 77-yard touchdown, and Trigg had a 21-0 lead with less than a minute and a half gone.
Caverna answered with a 42-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Corn to Keylan Bailey, but the Wildcats kept finding different ways to reach the end zone.
Connor Bellows returned a punt 47 yards for a touchdown. Seventeen seconds later, freshman Elijah Jones took an interception back 37 yards for another score.
By then, Trigg had scored on offense, defense, and special teams.
Higgins said everything happened so quickly that his starters barely had a chance to settle into the game.
“I thought we did some really good things,” Higgins said. “I don’t even think the varsity kids played 10 plays, maybe.”
Scott threw his second touchdown pass late in the first quarter, hitting Brody Renfroe for a 21-yard score that sent Trigg into the second quarter with a 42-6 lead.
With the game already well in hand, Higgins turned things over to his younger players. That gave a large freshman class and other reserves something that can be hard to find during the regular season — meaningful Friday night snaps.
Higgins said the younger Wildcats quickly learned that those opportunities shouldn’t be wasted. When several asked to come out for a break, he reminded them that some of the varsity players were standing on the sideline, wishing they could get back into the game.
“This may be the only time you play all year on a Friday night,” Higgins told them. “Why would you wanna take a break in front of your fans and your family?”
Caverna scored on a 14-yard run by Weston Vibbert in the second quarter, but Trigg still took a 49-13 lead into halftime.
Freshman MarQayvion Green added a 55-yard touchdown run on his first varsity carry in the third quarter, and the Wildcats also recorded a safety to stretch the lead to 58-13.
Green would add a 36-yard touchdown run with 6:37 left in the third quarter, and Trigg’s final touchdown came on defense when Cooper Adams returned a fumble 38 yards for a score. Caverna closed out the scoring with Bailey’s 50-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
The final numbers reflected just how little Trigg’s starting offense had to do.
The Wildcats finished with 215 yards of offense despite running only six times and attempting three passes. They rushed for 179 yards, while Scott completed one of two passes for 36 yards. Both completions went for touchdowns.
Trigg County possessed the ball for 7:21 compared to 40:39 for Caverna.
Caverna finished with 116 yards of offense, including 74 on the ground.
For Higgins, some of the most encouraging signs had little to do with the scoreboard. He liked the way his players stayed focused and carried themselves on and off the field.
“It’s all culture. It’s all culture and attitude,” Higgins said. “As long as your attitude stays okay, you will be all right.”
The night also carried some emotion for Higgins.
His parents were a familiar part of Trigg County football during his first stint as head coach. His father, Hoyt, spent countless hours helping around the program, including painting the field at Perdue Field.
Higgins said coming onto the field Friday without his parents there was difficult.
“It was tough,” he said. “Then once the game started, I didn’t think about that anymore.”
Now the Wildcats turn their attention to a much different challenge.
Trigg will travel to Hart County next week. The Raiders beat Russellville 56-20 Friday night. Higgins said the focus will be on teaching his players how to prepare for each game.
“We work on Mondays, we work on Tuesdays, we work on Wednesdays, we work on Thursdays, so that we’re ready on Friday,” Higgins said. “The kids have been great. It’s been a change for them, but I think we’ve done a lot of good things.”
Trigg County is now 7-0 all-time against Caverna, with Friday’s game the first between the schools in a decade.
