Alto Tames Big Sandy Wildcats 21-12: Yellowjackets taking on undefeated Carlisle Friday night

With a buzz and a roar, the Alto Yellowjackets took down the Big Sandy Wildcats Friday night at home, 21-12.

Played on a wet field, the game was a plethora of fumbles and dropped passes.

Senior wide receiver Dalton Mabry (No. 11) led the Jackets in receiving with two catches for 58 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown snatch on the fifth play of the game.

Alto head football Coach Ricky Meeks said he was pleased with the efforts of his team.

“It definitely had its ups and downs,” Coach Meeks said. “We had a few more ups than they had.

“Right now, you take them how you can get them,” he added. “It’s district and we’re one-and-o. I’m proud of the kids persevering and playing against a really good team. I am proud of our kids for that.”

Marching quickly upfield, after receiving the opening kickoff, the Yellowjackets senior quarterback Fred Thacker (No. 16) took less than two minutes to engineer a score.

On first-and-10 from the Big Sandy 49-yard line, Thacker hooked up with Mabry for the opening score.

Freshman kicker Julio Serrano (No. 13) kicked the extra point, and with 10:25 remaining in the first quarter, the Jackets were up 7-zip.

With a very active zebra-force on the field, Alto fans were dismayed to see the Mean Sting penalized 14 times for 105 yards.

In spite of facing adversity, the Alto defense was a powerful force in the game, limiting the Wildcat offense to 235 yards, all in rushing (41 carries).

Coach Meeks said this week the team is concentrating on avoiding miscues and penalties.

“We just have to make a conscious effort during practice day-in-and-day-out, and reminding them,” he said. “We move on forward as much as we can. It’s part of the game and we’ve got to find a way to quit doing that to ourselves and giving people free possessions on things they haven’t earned.”

Alto dominated the game with 479 yards in total offense, including 169 yards through the air and 310 yards rushing.

Sophomore running back Vi’Dareous High (No. 2) was the Jackets’ best ground-gainer, racking up 181 yards on 21 carries.

Thacker was second with 122 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns.

It took the Wildcats a lot of game time to warm up, not scoring until the middle of the third quarter.

But with just 2:56 remaining in the third, Thacker added a score on first-and-goal from the 10-yard line.

Up 13-6, Alto was beginning to pull away from the Wildcats.

Thacker would score again in the fourth quarter, on third-and-goal from the two-yard line. Thacker immediately added a two-point conversion bringing the score to 21-6, Jackets, with 5:44 remaining in the game.

Big Sandy would score again with 3:08 in the game, in a too-little-too-late effort to rally against Alto, yielding the game-final tally of 21-12, Alto.

Friday night, the Yellowjackets will travel to Arrowhead Stadium in Price to take on the undefeated Carlisle Indians. Kickoff will be at 7:30 p.m.

Carlisle, currently listed as No. 3 in Texas Division 2A-1 rankings, is fresh off of a 68-8 shellacking of the formerly undefeated Cushing Bearkats.

“We’re definitely going to have our work cut out for us,” Coach Meeks said. “We’re going to have to put our big-boy britches on and go to work. It should be a great atmosphere—a great game.

“Hopefully, we show up ready to play,” Coach Meeks added.