6th Grade White Pittbulls Foiled by Van Buren
Article by Denny Bland
The 6th Grade White team returned home Saturday night and lost a heartbreaker in overtime 6 to zip against a tough Van Buren White team. The Pittbulls and Pointers played a hard nose game of field position all night long.
At the onset of the game, it look as if the Pittbulls might take it to the Pointer 
team as the tough defense would hold Van Buren to negative yardage and force a three and out. Big plays by Nick Houston and Reid Wheeler set the tone early on. After a Van Buren punt, the Pittbulls would take the ball almost the entire length of field. Greenwood would come out with a nice mix of run and pass with hard running by Tanner Cooper, Brandon Tolbert and Ty Wyckoff. Quarterback Reid 
Wheeler came out on fire passing by completing his first four passes. He hit Kyler Watson for 12 yards, Seth Bland for 20 yards and Tolbert & Watson again for shorter gains. It appeared Greenwood would score after a run by Cooper for ten yards but there was dirty laundry on the field and the play was nullified by a penalty. The drive stalled on a turnover on downs as Wheeler’s fourth and long pass attempt was dropped.
The battle continued into the second quarter which would see Greenwood’s defense rise up strong against a potent running attack of Van Buren.
Trey Hamilton 
was a monster most of the night on defense and he combined with rest of the defense would hold on fourth down and short several times. Greenwood would get another shot right before half after Van Buren was again held on downs deep in its own territory. Greenwood would go for it all on the opening play but Wheeler’s nice pass fell just short. Greenwood would fumble on the next play and Van Buren would try to capitalize. Van Buren would get its longest run of the night and set up shop Pittbull territory before half. Hamilton and Wyckoff would make key stops. Van Buren was held on fourth down again and the half would end scoreless.
The second half was much of the same as the first. Van Buren used an onside kick and recovery at the start of the half to seize momentum. They could not sustain a deep drive and neither could Greenwood. Greenwood used smothering pass defense by its corners Copper and Wyckoff, who made a great interception, and tough run stoppers like Tyler Cox, Ty Faust, Garrett Millerand Kolton Hughes. Greenwood suffered key injury losses to Wheeler and Hamilton, arguably the team’s offensive and defensive leaders, late in the game.
The game clock expired still without a score so the teams headed to overtime. Greenwood would win the toss and play defense first. Van Buren got its first crack from ten with four downs. Greenwood would hold Van Buren to fourth down and one to go on the goal line and appeared to have stymied them and forced a fumble into the end zone which initially Jordan McKinley appeared to have but in the end Van Buren was credited with a touchdown recovery. The PAT kick would fail. Greenwood would get its turn with Watson filling in for Wheeler at quarterback. Cooper would make a hard run for six only to be smothered on the next play and a final pass attempt would be batted away to preserve the Van Buren win. The loss was a tough one but the loss of the players was more heartbreaking. The Pittbulls hope to bounce back next week at home against the Van Buren Black team.
