The No. 4-ranked Trinity Valley Community College Cardinals dominated the Cisco Wranglers in the regular season finale Saturday in Cisco.
The Cardinals won, 72-28, to extend their win streak to six straight games. The two teams met in the season opener at Bruce Field with TVCC winning, 51-6, in nonconference action.
TVCC (8-1, 6-1 in conference) heads into the conference semifinal playoffs Saturday at 3 p.m. hosting the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Golden Norsemen at Bruce Field. NEO handed the Cardinals their lone defeat, 30-29 back in September in a game played in Miami, Okla.
The Cardinals have home field advantage throughout the conference playoffs.
The only loss for the Cardinals during the regular season came in a 30-29 loss to the Golden Norsemen at NEO on Sept. 10.
Cardinal sophomore receiver Damontes Dowell scored the game's opening touchdown with a 51-yard reception from Michael Curtis.
Caden Novikoff booted the PAT good with 12:57 left in first quarter for the 7-0 lead.
Jaylon Guyton extended the lead to 14-0 with a four-yard touchdown reception from Curtis. Novikoff nailed the PAT good with 9:41 remaining in first quarter.
Phillip Baptiste then scored on a 24-yard touchdown reception from Curtis with 7:29 remaining in first quarter for the 21-0 lead.
Cardinal sophomore running back Le'Vonte Owens scampered 37 yards to pay dirt with 1:09 remaining in the opening quarter for the 28-0 lead.
The defense then got in on the scoring as Terrence Potts gave the Cardinals a 35-0 lead with 9:28 remaining in the first half on a 105-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Guyton scored his second touchdown of the game with 4:26 remaining in the first half. Guyton hauled in a 40-yard reception from Rayjohn Austin-Ramsey for the 42-0 lead.
The Cardinals added one more score before the end of the first half as Josh Hodges hauled in a 34-yard reception from Austin-Ramsey. Novikoff booted the PAT good with 55 seconds remaining for the 49-0 lead.
Cisco added a touchdown in the final minute to end the half trailing 49-7. With 9:28 remaining in the third quarter, Cisco added another touchdown.
TVCC countered with a 36-yard touchdown from Curtis to Dowell to extend the lead to 55-14 with 6:31 remaining.
Cisco added another score with 3:38 remaining in the third quarter for the 55-21 deficit.
Novikoff added a 20-yard field goal with 14:16 remaining in regulation to give the Cardinals a 58-21 lead.
The Cardinals added another touchdown with 7:31 remaining as Daveon Woods rumbled 59 yards to the end zone for the touchdown. Novikoff's PAT was good for the 65-21 lead.
With five minutes remaining in the game, the Cardinals added a 76-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Michael Sam to extend the lead to 72-28.
The return marked the 11th time in school history TVCC has scored more than 70 points in a game.
Curtis finished the game 14-of-24 for 236 yards passing with four touchdowns and one interception. Dowell had three receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns.
(Story courtesy of Athens Daily Review)
