Mistakes made early on by the Greenville Lions gave the Tigers plenty of opportunities to dominate the field, leading to a 45-19 victory tonight at Tiger Stadium at Grim Park.

The Tiger’s first drive began on the 40-yard line. A 37-yard run by running back Devuntay Walker followed by a touchdown pass to wide receiver Tevailance Hunt led to a touchdown during the Tiger’s first possession. Senior Isidro Hernandez’s kick was good for the extra point. However, unsportsmanlike conduct from Hunt led to a 15-yard penalty on the kickoff.

An incomplete pass on third down forced Greenville to punt, giving the Tigers the ball on their own 24-yard line. Two carries by running back Markese Martin followed by a complete pass to wide receiver Quan Hampton put the Tigers on the Greenville 34-yard line. A touchdown pass to Martin and Hernandez’s extra point put the score at 14-0 with 8:32 left in the first quarter.

After failed drives from both teams, Texas High got the ball on the 39-yard line. A pass to Hunt put the ball on the 8-yard line followed by a touchdown run by Walker, bringing the score to 21-0.

The Tigers started the second quarter on the 32-yard line, but an interception by Greenville’s Jakwan Allen gave the ball to the Lions. A 15-yard facemask penalty on the Tigers  gave the Lions a much needed first down and led to a Greenville touchdown by Cadamion Hale, making the score 21-7.

A Greenville fumble led to the Tigers’ next touchdown run by Martin with 4:03 left in the second quarter. A 15-yard penalty on the Tigers for a late hit kept the Lion drive going. This resulted in a 28-yard touchdown pass by Greenville, but the extra point was no good. The second quarter ended 28-13.

The third quarter was marred by penalties on both sides. A 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty put the Tigers on the Greenville 15-yard line, which led to a touchdown by Martin. Hernandez’s extra point was good for a score of 35-13. In the Tigers’ next possession, a pass to Hunt put the ball on the Greenville 33-yard line. Martin caught a 33-yard touchdown pass bringing the score to 42-13.

“We kind of got lazy and let them score twice, but were able to dominate the ball the rest of the game,” Eric Sutton said. “These wins help us get better–we shouldn’t lose any of these games.”

A Greenville pass in the fourth quarter put them on the Tigers’ 4-yard line where they scored a touchdown, but the extra point was no good. A reception by Hampton put the Tigers on the Greenville 10-yard line, but the Tigers were forced to kick a 25-yard field goal, bringing the score to 45-19.

The tuba song and “I’m So Glad I Go to THS” energized the student section as the clock winded down to end the game.

“We’re not almost perfect, but the team has come a long way,” Hampton said. “We’ve accomplished a lot, practiced hard, and it shows on the field.