By: Derek Ray Johnson
Special Contributor/txhsfb.net

PATTONVILLE- Kardarion Coulter rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown as Pattonville Prairiland rolled to a 30-7, season-opening win over Big Sandy at Patriot Stadium on Friday night

The kickoff temperature was a sweltering 102 degrees but that didn’t deter Pattonville Prairliand as they took the opening kickoff and quickly turned it into a quick 8-0 lead over Big Sandy on a 1-yard touchdown run by Logan Holderness. Coulter highlighted the drive with a 59-yard run down the right side before he was dragged down at the one yard-line.

Big Sandy struggled to move the ball on their first couple of drives then Prairiland pushed the lead to 16-0 lead when Coulter found daylight on the right side and out-ran everyone for a 69-yard score with 4:16 left in the first quarter.

Big Sandy picked up a couple of first downs on their next drive then appeared to be on their way of getting a big defensive stop at they forced Prairiland into a 4th-and-goal from their 18 yard-line. But the Patriots gambled and it paid off when Keeton Kinabrew found a wide-open Luke Rhoades for an 18-yard touchdown pass to make the score, 24-0 early in the second quarter.

Big Sandy finally got things rolling in the second quarter when Malijah Francis took a pitch on the left side and weaved his around several defenders for a 22-yard touchdown to pull the Wildcats within, 24-7 with 9:24 left in the second quarter.

Prairiland added another score just before halftime on a 1-yard keeper by Kinabrew to give the Patriots a 30-7 lead going into the break.

Big Sandy came out a completely different team in the second half. The Wildcats defense made some adjustments at halftime and were able to hold Prairiville to less than a hundred yards of offense in the second half.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats offense began to move the ball at a better clip as receiver Ja’Davian Sanders hauled in four catches for 59 yards in the second half and finished the night with a game-high, six catches for 82 yards.

Big Sandy’s best scoring chance in the second half came early in the fourth quarter when they moved the ball inside the Prairiland 10 yard-line, but the Wildcats fumbled the ball away at the one yard-line.

Game Summary

TEAM STATS

PP- Logan Holderness 1 run (Mason Pusater 2-pt run) 10:46 1Q
PP- Kardadrion Coulter 69 run (Pusateri run) 4:16 1Q
PP- Luke Rhoades 18 pass from Keeton Kinabrew (Pusater run) 11:53 2Q
BS- Malijah Francis 22 run (Zachart Duhart kick) 9:24 2Q
pp- Kinabrew 1 run (run failed) 0:15

Passing
Big Sandy- Kayden Smith (6-15-3-82), Zachary Duhart (0-1-0-0). Prairiland- Keeton Kinabrew (2-2-0-58)

Rushing
Big Sandy-Malijah Francis 13-68, Kayden Smith 5-40, Zachary Duhart 4-12. Prairiland- Kardadrion Coulter 9-107, Mason Pusateri 7-76, Logan Holderness 11-64, Callan Bridges 3-19, Keeton Kinabrew 2-4, Austen Gordon 1-2.

Receiving
Big Sandy- Ja’Davian Sanders 6-82. Prairiland- Logan Holderness 1-40, Luke Rhoades 1-18.