Tigers kick Donkeys

    It’s safe to say that Tipton’s No. 7 ranked Tigers have gotten off to a better start this season than last.

• Tipton Tiger Team Page

• Talented Tigers roaring in District B-1

• Tigers topple Temple

• Tigers buck Bronchos

    “I’d much rather be 4-0 than 0-4.” Tipton head coach Jim Kerbo said of the Tigers’ fast start.
    After starting 0-4 in 1999, the Tigers turned the tables and improved to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in district with a wild 67-39 win over Bray-Doyle in both teams District B-1 opener last Friday.
    The game was never in doubt as the Tigers opened a 13-0 first quarter lead behind two Robert Jasper touchdowns on a one-yard run and a 13-yard pass reception from quarterback Justin White.
    A 74-yard Eric Hill touchdown run extended the Tigers’ lead to 19-0 less than a minute into the second quarter. 
   Bray-Doyle answered just over two minutes later as Dwayne Snyder found Bubba Justice for a five-yard touchdown pass.  Snyder hit Michael Johnson for the two-point conversion cutting the Tigers’ lead to eleven, 19-8.
    That was as close as the Donkeys would get as Tipton answered with three touchdowns in less than 3:30 to take a commanding 39-8 lead.  The first touchdown came on an Anthony Hill four-yard run, 25-8.  Eric Hill followed by returning an interception 17 yards for a score and Jasper added a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
    The Donkeys added another score on a 62-yard T.J. Cox run.  Snyder hit Kyle Parker for the two-point conversion and the half ended with the Tigers up 39-16.
    Bray-Doyle struck first in the second half as Snyder again found Justice, this time for 13 yards.  The PAT was good leaving the Tigers’ lead at 39-23.
    Tipton refused to let the Donkeys get too close as they added two more scores in the third.  Jasper outran everyone 77 yards for his fourth touchdown of the night and Eric Hill burst two-yards for his third touchdown of the game.
    White added two more touchdowns for the Tigers in the fourth as he found Nathan Soliz for an 83-yard scoring strike and bowled his way over from one-yard out for Tipton’s final score.
    “I thought our offensive line did a good job of blocking, and the running backs hit the holes hard to get in the open field.” Kerbo said of the Tigers’ offense, “And when we get in the open field, we’re a little bit tough to catch.”
    “I think we lost our focus (defensively) when we got up big.” Kerbo said of his troops’ defensive effort, “Overall I thought we just had way too many busts on defense.  We’ve got a lot of things to correct and a lot of things to adjust before next week because we can’t afford to play defense that way against Snyder. Snyder’s just too good an offensive football team.” 
   The Tigers continue district play this week when they host their archrival, the No. 5 ranked Snyder Cyclones.
    “It’ll be a war.” Kerbo said of the game with Snyder, “It’s always a good rivalry and we’ve got a lot of respect for Snyder.  We’ve had an opportunity to watch them play and they’re an awful good football team.  They’ve got good athletes and they’re very well coached.”
    Both teams enter the contest undefeated as Snyder sits at 4-0 after a key 20-14 district win over then No. 3 Burns Flat-Dill City in last week’s district opener.  The two teams battled to a wild 66-52 Tipton win last season, and there is a little added spice to the rivalry this year as both teams enter the game ranked (Snyder at No. 5, Tipton at No. 7).
    “It’s always a great game and I don’t look for this year to be any different.” Kerbo said of the rivalry, “It’s just a good old time football rivalry.”