Kirbyville fighting for final playoff spot

Rylee Simas reporter@jasperconews.com Jasper County News KIRBYVILLE — The Kirbyville Wildcats saw their playoff hopes come to an end Friday night, falling 21-17 to the Buna Cougars after surrendering a 10-point lead in a hard-fought district matchup. Buna rallied from a 17-7 deficit to secure the victory and clinch a postseason berth, while Kirbyville was left preparing for its regular-season finale. Kirbyville got things started with a 45-yard kickoff return, giving the Wildcats excellent field position. However, Buna’s defense held strong and forced a turnover on downs. After Kirbyville forced Buna to punt, the Wildcats took possession at their own 47-yard line. Sophomore quarterback Coy Wiggins helped move the ball downfield with a quarterback sneak for a first down before sophomore kicker Alex Ibarra connected on a 31-yard field goal to give Kirbyville an early 3-0 advantage. Buna answered when Brody Moss scored a touchdown, putting the Cougars ahead 7-3 following the extra point. Kirbyville responded behind junior running back Jaxon Thomas, who scored a rushing touchdown to reclaim the lead at 10-7. Thomas finished as Kirbyville’s leading rusher, carrying the football 22 times for 84 yards and a touchdown, averaging 3.8 yards per attempt. The Wildcats continued building momentum as Wiggins connected with sophomore Caleb Glenn on a 42-yard touchdown pass. Ibarra added the extra point, extending Kirbyville’s advantage to 17-7. Wiggins completed 9 of 17 passes for 108 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also contributed 81 rushing yards on 12 carries, averaging 6.8 yards per attempt. Kirbyville finished with 273 yards of total offense, including 165 rushing yards on 34 attempts and 108 passing yards. Senior receiver Zain Myers led the Wildcats with four receptions for 31 yards, while Glenn’s 42-yard touchdown reception was the team’s longest passing play. Freshman Jake Anthony contributed a 16-yard reception, freshman Corey Watson caught two passes for 12 yards, and senior Brandon Rawls added a 7-yard catch. However, Buna refused to go away. Following a 16-yard kickoff return, the Cougars began moving the football downfield. Moss broke loose on a quarterback keeper before Tanner Crane finished the drive with a touchdown. The extra point narrowed Kirbyville’s lead to 17-14. Buna’s defense then delivered a critical interception, giving the Cougars another opportunity to complete the comeback. Alex Soileau capitalized on the turnover with a touchdown, and the successful extra point put Buna ahead 21-17. Despite Kirbyville’s efforts, the Cougars maintained their four-point advantage through the remainder of the contest. Defensively, senior Ryder Ferguson led the Wildcats with 13 total tackles, including seven solo stops and six assists. Sophomore Damien Pina followed with 12 tackles, including five solo tackles and seven assists, while junior Collin Ferrell added nine tackles. Next kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at East Chambers High School Nov. 5.