Southwest closes season with high-scoring contest

BARTLEY - For Homecoming, the Southwest football team put on its best show of fireworks.

The Roughriders put up nearly 500 yards of offense and scored six times, but it wasn't enough as visiting Wallace left town with a 78-42 victory that closed the 'Riders season at 1-7.

Wallace improved to 7-1.

Southwest finished with a 487-380 advantage in total offense, but a pair of turnovers and special teams pushed Wallace over the top. Wallace returned a kickoff for touchdown, blocked a Southwest punt and grabbed two interceptions, stealing extra possessions and field position from the Roughriders throughout the contest.

The Wildcats jumped in front with a 16-point opening quarter and added three more scores in the second to build a 40-16 lead at halftime.

Wallace blew the game open in the second half, scoring five more times to put the game away.

But the Roughriders kept scoring, too, putting up 20 points in the fourth quarter, tying their highest scoring output of the season.

Southwest rushed for 262 yards in the contest as Hunter Cunningham ran for 108 yards and Jacob Kerns rushed for 65. Nate Rippe also had 65 yards on the ground. Rippe, Kerns and Kaden Day each rushed for a touchdown.

Rippe completed 8 of 16 passes for 155 yards. Cunningham also completed 2 of three passes for 70 yards.

Kerns was the top receiving target, snatching six catches for 140 yards while Cunningham had two grabs for 20 yards and a touchdown. Kaden Day also had a 60-yard touchdown catch and Hunter Blume had a five-yard reception.

Blume led the defense with nine tackles and Cunningham had seven. Kerns grabbed six tackles and Gavin Hammond, Day and Tyler Ellis each had five.

Cunningham was 3-for-6 on two-point kicks.