Indians Shine in Homecoming Victory, 28-6

WETUMPKA, Ala. — Wetumpka entered Friday night looking for a response, and the Indians got one.

Playing without starting quarterback Charlie Skipper and coming off their first loss of the season, Wetumpka turned to sophomore Karsen Tate behind center and leaned on a dominant defensive performance to defeat Percy Julian 28-6 on homecoming night at the Wetumpka Sports Complex. The victory improved Wetumpka to 4-1 and gave the Indians another important region win.

Tate, normally one of Wetumpka's primary weapons in the backfield, made his first varsity start at quarterback with Skipper unavailable. He completed 11 of 20 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns while adding 29 yards and another score on the ground.

Wetumpka wasted little time allowing Tate to throw the football. After the Indians' defense forced Percy Julian off the field on its opening possession, Tate directed an 88-yard drive from Wetumpka's own 12. Facing second down from the Percy Julian 47, Tate found Kaleb Ballard streaking downfield. The pass dropped into Ballard's hands in stride, and the junior finished the 49-yard touchdown to put Wetumpka in front 7-0.

It was the beginning of a big night for Ballard, who finished with four receptions for a team-high 79 yards and the touchdown. The Indians moved into Percy Julian territory before Tate connected with Deon Floyd for a 25-yard gain on third down. Jordan Smoke followed with a run into the red zone, and after penalties pushed Wetumpka backward, Tate went back to Floyd on third-and-goal. Floyd caught a screen around the 10-yard line, slipped the first defender, and worked through traffic before diving into the end zone. Christian "Speedy" Wilkes then took the direct snap on the swinging-gate conversion and powered across the goal line to extend Wetumpka's advantage to 15-0.

The Indians carried that lead into the second quarter, while their defense made life difficult for the Phoenix. Percy Julian did not record its first first down until late in the opening quarter. Wetumpka consistently created pressure and forced the Phoenix into unfavorable down-and-distance situations.

Percy Julian finally found some offensive momentum late in the first half. Quarterback Jordan Winston connected with Jeremiah Crawford on a slant, and Crawford broke through the final tackle on his way into the end zone. The Phoenix could not add the conversion, leaving Wetumpka ahead 15-6.

The Indians had an opportunity to answer before halftime, driving deep into Percy Julian territory in the closing seconds, but could not turn the possession into points. Wetumpka went into the locker room with a nine-point advantage.

Whatever opportunity Percy Julian had to build on its late first-half touchdown quickly disappeared after the break. Wetumpka received the second-half kickoff and immediately reestablished control. Floyd, who had already made an impact as a receiver, continued to become a focal point of the offense. The senior finished the night with 74 rushing yards on seven carries and 72 receiving yards on four catches, giving him 146 yards from scrimmage. His second touchdown came out of the Wildcat. Taking the direct snap, Floyd worked through the middle, bounced off a defender, and powered into the end zone, extending Wetumpka's advantage to 28-6.

It was an appropriate performance for Floyd on homecoming night. Before kickoff, the senior was announced as Wetumpka's homecoming king.

While Tate and Floyd provided the highlights, Smoke gave Wetumpka another steady option in the backfield. The junior led the Indians with 106 rushing yards on 14 attempts, averaging 7.6 yards per carry. Wetumpka also received contributions from Jeremiah Sears, who rushed three times for 29 yards. Patrick Davis added one of the game's biggest offensive plays with a 48-yard reception, helping Tate spread his 214 passing yards among four different receivers.

Wetumpka's defense was every bit as important as its offensive production. Cayden Carlisle was at the center of the effort, finishing with a team-high nine tackles, including four tackles for loss and two sacks. Cooper Wilson recorded eight tackles with a tackle for loss and a sack, while Jordan Gray and Jordan Bracy each finished with seven tackles. Bracy added a sack and a tackle for loss.

The defensive front repeatedly disrupted Percy Julian's offense. Carlisle delivered consecutive plays in the backfield late in the first half, including a third-down sack that forced the Phoenix to punt after its touchdown drive. The Indians continued to control the line of scrimmage after halftime and never allowed Percy Julian to seriously threaten their advantage.

A week after suffering its first defeat, the Indians handled an unexpected change at quarterback, produced more than 400 yards of individual offensive production across their primary playmakers, and held Percy Julian to one touchdown. Most importantly, Wetumpka answered its first setback with a convincing homecoming victory. The Indians leave their three-game homestand at 4-1 and will return to the road next week for a matchup with Smiths Station.