BY ANTONIO HENDERSON
Special to the Telegraph-Times-Monitor
Walton’s Eric Joyner connected on his fourth field goal of the night, leading the Braves to a 31-28 overtime win over the Union County High School football team on Sept. 8 in DeFuniak Springs.
The teams played a scoreless first overtime before the Braves (3-0) won it in the second.
Union (1-1) held a slight advantage in total yards (381-352) over the Class 2S playoff qualifier from last year, but couldn’t hold onto a 28-22 lead late in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers, who traveled more than three hours to play the game, scored first, cashing in on a fumble recovery by Blake McCoy at the Walton 29. Gavin Jenkins caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Trenton Klein. Thomas Williams’ run on the conversion attempt was successful, putting Union up 8-0.
Joyner kicked a 32-yard field goal to make it 8-3, which is where the score stood entering the second quarter. He added a 47-yard field goal to cut the Tigers’ lead to two.
Walton quarterback Wells Bettenhausen threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to give the Braves their first lead. Joyner kicked the extra point to make the score 13-8.
Klein, who rushed for 45 yards on 13 carries, took off for an 8-yard touchdown run, making the score 14-13, with the Tigers failing to get the two-point conversion.
Joyner came up with another big kick, making a 37-yard field goal as the Braves retook the lead and entered halftime leading 16-14.
Union missed a scoring opportunity on a turnover on downs at the Walton 8-yard line, but the defense forced a turnover with a Dayquan Diston interception, which put the Tigers at the Braves’ 29-yard line. Cole Austin, who rushed for 42 yards on 14 carries, scored on a 16-yard touchdown, giving Union a 20-16 lead. The conversion attempt failed.
Walton went back up on a Bettenhausen touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, making the score 22-20. The Braves’ pass on the conversion attempt was incomplete.
Diston, who rushed 64 yards on just three carries, made a huge play with his arm when he threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Jenkins. Brycen Boney’s run on the conversion attempt put the Tigers ahead 28-22.
Jenkins finished the game with three receptions for 92 yards.
The Tigers missed a scoring opportunity when they turned the ball over on downs at the Walton 18.
Bettenhausen, who completed 17 of 29 passes for 310 yards, threw his third touchdown pass the night to tie the score. The Braves failed on their two-point conversion attempt, ultimately sending the game into overtime.
Union finished with 282 rushing yards. Bobo Woodall had 64 yards on 15 carries, while Williams had 44 yards on seven carries.
Klein was 4 of 9 passing for 59 yards.
Williams led the defense with six tackles, while Boney and Diston each had five.
The Tigers are now set to play three straight home games, beginning with its Friday, Sept. 15 matchup against P.K. Yonge, Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.
P.K. Yonge, a Class 1S team, is 2-0 after defeating Mount Dora Christian Academy 22-20 last week.
The Blue Wave won just four games last year, thought they did qualify for the playoffs. One of their eight losses was to Union by a score of 55-7.
