Wildcats’ playoff hopes end with loss to Du Quoin Friday
source="363d4843a8fd8146c36bd4ac090b43ca.jpg"
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Anna-Jonesboro’s postseason hopes likely came to an end with a loss to Du Quoin last Friday night in Southern Illinois high school football action.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats fell to visiting Du Quoin in a shootout which ended in a score of 42-38.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Going in, I thought we had a playoff team,” Brett Detering, A-J head football coach said following Friday night’s game.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Detering said that during A-J’s last four games, the Wildcats have either been tied or ahead in the fourth quarter.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Indians scored their first touchdown in Friday night’s game during the first quarter. The extra point kick was good and the visitors were up 7-0.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">A Dylan Ford touchdown pass to wide receiver Cole Hopkins followed by an extra point kick gave Du Quoin a 14-0 first-quarter lead.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats fumbled with four minutes left in the opening quarter and the ball was recovered by Du Quoin. An incomplete pass forced the Indians to punt for Wildcats.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">A-J’s Caleb Clover was on the receiving end of the punt. He fumbled, but was able to recover the loose ball.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats scored their first points of the game in the second quarter. Trenton Turner ran the ball in for a touchdown with 9:11 left in the quarter. A-J’s extra point kick was successful and the Wildcats had cut the lead to 14-7.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Zayne Fornear scored another touchdown for the Indians with 4:52 left in the second quarter. With the extra point kick, Du Quoin was up 21-7.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Fornear ran 70 yards and scored another touchdown for the Indians with 3:41 left in the second quarter. Du Quoin kicked the extra point and was ahead 28-7.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">In the final seconds of the first half, A-J quarterback Jake Stark completed a touchdown pass to Dakota Earnhart. The extra point kick was not successful, but A-J had cut the lead to 28-13.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The two teams combined for 39 points in the second half of the game.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats opened the scoring in the second half with a field goal by Dakota Earnhart, which cut the Indians’ lead to 28-16.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">A-J’s Stark scored on a 2-yard run with 4:29 left in the third quarter and the Wildcats drew closer at 28-23. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Jake Stark had an interception and gave the Wildcats the ball in Du Quoin’s red zone. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats took the lead early in the fourth quarter when Alec Gold scored on a four-yard run. With a successful two-point conversion, A-J was on top, 31-28.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Vogel rushed to score another touchdown for the Indians, who took a 35-31 lead with 3 minutes left in the game.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">A-J responded with a 36-yard touchdown pass by Stark to Collin Prather. The extra point kick was good and A-J was up 38-35 with just over a minute to play.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">As the clock ticked down, Du Quoin’s Vogel passed the ball to Fornear, who ran 74 yards for the final touchdown of the game for the Indians.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats attempted to rally, but a pass was intercepted by the Indians, who went home with a 42-38 win.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“We made some mistakes in the first half...we put ourselves in a hole. I’m proud for not giving up,” Detering said.</span></p>