Note to Our Readers: The following story was sourced in its entirety from Mr. Glenn Parrish, Director of Communications, Booneville School District. Mr. Parrish is a RNN Sports contributor and we thank him for bringing this story to our readers!
Dax Goff set a school record with 307 rushing yards Friday night in a 48-21 Bearcat homecoming win over West Fork.
Goff needed just 16 carries to set the record, two of which went for a combined negative 16. He had touchdown runs of 70 and 75 yards and had another run of 63 yards.
In becoming the first 300-yard rusher in school history Goff surpassed Colton Waters previous record of 298 yards against Pottsville in 2008.
Besides his rushing performance Goff also caught two passes for 48 yards and had two kickoff returns for 25 yards for a 380 all-purpose yardage night as the Bearcats moved to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in Conference 3A-1 play.
The Bearcats had 552 rushing yards and 600 total offensive yards – hitting the 600-yard mark for the second straight week. Prior to the past two weeks there had been just two 600-yard nights in program history.
Before Goff could get his record-breaking night started, the Bearcat defense took the field first against a short field and surrendered a five play, 42-yard drive to give the Tigers (3-2, 0-2) a 7-0 lead.
Goff returned the ensuing kickoff to the Bearcat 30, then took a handoff from Peyton Tatum and went 70 on the first Bearcat offensive play.
The Bearcats forced a punt on West Fork’s next possession and again scored in one play.
This time it was Trace Hall getting loose for a 76-yard run to make it 14-7.
Hall would run for 132 yards on nine carries.
After another Tiger punt the Bearcats were within a yard of making it three scores in three plays but a group of Tigers finally managed to get Goff on the ground at the 1 after a 63-yard gain.
Cody Elliott scored two plays later and it was 21-7 with the Marcos Mullor point after kick.
West Fork threatened to get right back in it on the strength of 51 yards through the air but the Tigers got greedy on a first down at the Bearcat 22 and a pass into coverage by Tatum and Hall was picked off by Tatum in the end zone.
The Bearcats were unable to take advantage of the turnover and punted but would again force West Fork to give up the ball after a third down pass break up by Tatum.
An 11-play drive that saw one touchdown taken off the board would eventually see the Bearcats go up 28-7.
Goff had a 40-yard run in the drive and would score the touchdown from the 12 with 4:32 left in the first half.
With 1:00 left in the half the Tigers got on the board again on a fourth down completion from 7 yards out but David Hicks blocked the extra point try to keep it 28-13.
The Bearcats started the second half with the ball and converted a fourth down on the way to the West Fork 23 before a lost fumble gave the Tigers the ball.
A Tiger punt had the Bearcats at their 34-yard line where a hold and an offensive face mask — both teams were charged with the infraction in the game — would push them back to their 17 with a first-and-27.
Tatum connected with Goff for 43 yards and the Bearcats went on to complete the 66-yard drive with a 3-yard Elliott scoring run and it was 34-13 with 1:59 left in the third quarter.
West Fork would punt again on its next possession and it finally rolled dead after 61 yards to pin the Bearcats at their 14.
Elliott bolted for 11 and Goff went 75 on the next play to make it 41-13 with 46 seconds still remaining in the third quarter.
With Goff at 269 yards at that point he got 10 yards on the first play of the next Bearcat possession, then carried again but a holding penalty wiped out the play.
After Hall got 15 yards, Goff got 3 more to get to 282. Elliott got seven yards and a first down to the Tiger 40 and the Bearcats went back to Goff
The junior rumbled for 25 yards to the 15 setting the record in the process.
Hall would get his second touchdown three plays later and it was a sportsmanship clock level of 48-13 with 7:17 to go.
West Fork cut into the deficit with a 7-yard run with 4:00 to play then got a two-point conversion pass to make it 48-21.
Content, the Bearcats sent Jace Washburn out with reserves to finish it and after a 9-yard run by Garrick Garr got the Bearcats ia first down and n position to end it in victory formation.
The Bearcats are on the road next week to face Greenland. The Pirates knocked off previously unbeaten Mansfield 19-13 lsat Friday.
