It was homecoming week in Quitman. There was the parade, the pep rally, the pre-game ceremony naming Whitnee Weiher queen and Nicholas Barnett king and the American flag and game ball dropped in by skydivers. Unfortunately after that, the Arp Tigers decided to spoil Quitman’s homecoming, running past the Bulldogs 65-6.

Both teams came into the game with 0-3 records. But in the district 10-3A D2 opener, the Tigers took the ball on their first possession and used 10 plays to march 64 yards and score on quarterback Tren Jones 29-yard run. The first of four consecutive two-point conversion successes made it an early 8-0 game.

The Bulldogs followed with their second consecutive three and out series. The Tiger scored on a short run by Kadalon Williams after a 60-yard pass play to Jonathan Blackwell put the ball on the five-yard line. The two point conversion made it 16-0.

Not to be outdone, Quitman came right back. River Chaney made a tough 11-yard run and on the next play, Trey Berry flew past the Tiger defense for a 63-yard scoring burst. Berry added another century marker game rushing for 173 yards on 16 carries for a 10.8 per carry average.

“Trey did a great job running and the offensive line did a good job up front opening those lanes,” Head Coach Bryan Oakes said.

The score stood at 16-6 after one quarter. Arp scored three more times before intermission to make it a 39-6 game with the last score of the half coming with one second on the clock on another Jones run.

Oakes said Arp just did what they do best.

“Arp did not do anything we haven’t seen or did not know they would do. Our problem was we would make a great defensive play and then, they would run the same play again for 30 yards. We just had no consistency,” Oakes explained. “The season is not over. We still have six games left and I know our kids will come back Monday ready to work and that is what we are going to do, go to work.”

Arp scored 20 third quarter points to make it a 59-6 game going into the final quarter.

The Bulldogs’ Berry scored again, but the play was nullified by a holding call on Quitman.

Arp got the final score after a Quitman punt hit a Bulldog lineman and the Tigers recovered on the 12 yard line to make the final tally 65-6.

Around District 10-3A D2, the Bulldogs’ opponent this week, Grand Saline, took care of Troup 29-26, upstart Frankston surprised Winona 13-10 and district favorite Harmony got their first win of the season over Alba-Golden 56-36.

The Bulldogs travel to Grand Saline Friday to take on a solid Indian team. The Indians are 3-1 with their only loss to Palmer. They can score as evidenced by a 51-24 win over Como-Pickton and a 51-18 victory over Scurry-Rosser.

“Grand Saline has good speed. They have good talent at quarterback and halfback. We are going to have to really play tough over there,” Oakes added.

The Indians have a lot of experience from last year’s 7-4 playoff team with eight offensive and nine defensive starters returning. Linebacker Bryce Smith and big defensive tackle Reed Deatheridge lead the defensive charge for Grand Saline.