Preps

Wharton 27, Mitchell 14

Wharton wraps up a postseason berth with a solid offensive effort and sends Mitchell reeling to its fourth loss in a row.

By ROD GIPSON, Times Correspondent
Published October 20, 2007

TAMPA - The Wharton approach was simple: win and get in.

As in win and secure a playoff spot. And though Mitchell didn't exactly make things easy early on, Wharton's methodical approach eventually wore down the Mustangs en route to a 27-14 Class 5A, District 5 victory.

Wharton improves to 5-3 on the season and 2-0 in the district, which ensures the Wildcats a trip to the postseason. Wharton faces district rival Gaither on Nov. 2 in a matchup that will decide the championship. For Mitchell, meanwhile, the loss is the fourth in a row and leaves the Mustangs 2-5 on the year.

But it was the Mustangs who came out on fire early in the contest.

Mitchell took advantage of a Wharton fumble in the first quarter and only needed a five-play drive to gain a quick 7-0 lead on a Luke Smith 4-yard run.

But a quarter later, Wharton's stable of running backs began to take control of the game. The Wildcats used nine ball carriers while piling up almost 200 yards on the ground.

None were more effective than Marquis Thomas, who had second-quarter touchdown runs of 1 and 42 yards. He finished the game with 78 yards on 12 carries.

And just when the Mustangs thought they may have made enough adjustments to handle Wharton's running game, the Wildcats turned loose their passing offense.

Quarterback Andrew Clifford connected on scoring passes of 57 and 29 yards to Dominique White in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.

"We knew we had to win," said Clifford, who completed 10 of 19 passes for 195 yards. "All of the teams in our district are tough teams. We knew that if we came in and executed, we would win these games and go to the playoffs."

Wharton 27 Mitchell 14

[Last modified October 20, 2007, 00:46:22]