Wolves Earn Come from Behind Win in Heart of Texas Bowl

COMMERCE, Texas – The Co-Lin Football played their final game of the 2023 season as they faced off against Navarro College in the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl. The No. 6 Wolves used a big second half to earn come from behind win against the No. 10 Bulldogs, 28-20.

The Bulldogs got on the board first as they took advantage of an early miscue by the Wolves as they fumbled the opening kickoff giving the Bulldogs the ball on the Wolves own 31-yard line. The resulting drive ended in a 33-yard field goal that gave the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead with 12:09 left in the first quarter.

The Wolves then looked to respond on their next possession as they drove the ball down the field, but the drive stalled resulting in a 37-yard field goal attempt by Brandon Gilliam (Vicksburg) that was missed right of the goal posts keeping the score at 3-0.

The opposing defenses then flexed their muscles against the offense for the rest of the quarter as the score remained 3-0 at the end of play. The Wolves defense then needed just three plays in the second quarter to force their first turnover of the game as Christopher Burnett (Yazoo City) stepped in front of a Bulldogs receiver for an interception and returned the ball to the Bulldogs 42-yard line. However, the Wolves could not capitalize on the field position as the ensuing drive resulted in a turnover on downs.

The Wolves found the endzone on their next possession as DeVon Tott (Mandeville, LA) connected with Richard Mays, Jr. (Ridgeland), on a 66-yard catch and run for a touchdown. The pass capped off four play, 80-yard drive while the successful PAT by Gilliam gave the Wolves a 7-3 lead with 9:01 left in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs responded with a 16 play, 50-yard drive that resulted in a 42-yard field goal cutting the Wolves lead down to 7-6 with 31 seconds left in the first half. The Bulldogs then took advantage of the second turnover by the Wolves in the game with an interception to take possession at the Wolves 41-yard line. The Bulldogs then took the lead on a 36-yard touchdown pass as time expired in the first half. The successful PAT made the score 13-7 in favor of the Bulldogs as the teams entered the locker rooms at halftime.

The Wolves defense came out in the third quarter and stalled out the opening possession for the Bulldogs ultimately forcing a missed 51-yard field goal attempt. The Wolves came out on the ensuing possession and drove the ball 66 yards on six plays ending with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Tott to Jaylen Smith (Jacksonville, Fla). The successful PAT gave the Wolves a 14-13 lead, which they never relinquished, with 6:08 left in the third quarter.

The Wolves defense then answered the bell again on the ensuing possession for the Bulldogs forcing a three-and-out and giving the Wolves offense the ball on their own 24-yard line after a punt. The following possession resulted in another touchdown for the Wolves as Tray Minor (Natchez) scampered in from 12 yards out to cap off the nine play, 74-yard drive while the PAT increased the Wolves lead to 21-13 with 1:11 remaining in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs looked to cut into the Wolves lead early in the fourth quarter with a 26-yard field goal attempt; however, the kick was no good as the ball hit the left upright of the goal posts. After a three-and-out by the Wolves offense, the Wolves defense stepped up once again forcing a second turnover as Jahron Manning intercepted a pass at the Wolves 21-yard line.

The Wolves then took the ball down the field and scored on a four-yard rush by Johnnie Daniels (Crystal Springs) capping off a six play, 79-yard drive while the PAT gave the Wolves a 28-20 lead. The Bulldogs responded on their next possession with a 24-yard touchdown pass to cut the Wolves lead down to 28-20 with 1:43 left in the game. The Bulldogs then lined up for an onside kick which resulted in the Wolves recovering the ball and running the clock out to secure the 28-20 victory.

DeVon Tott went 8-for-16 through the air for 196 yards with two touchdowns and one interception paired with 38 yards on seven rushes. Johnnie Daniels led the rushing attack with 15 rushes for 57 yards with one touchdown while Tray Minor had eight carries for 20 yards with one touchdown.

Richard Mays, Jr., led the receiving corps with three receptions for 98 yards with one touchdown while Carlos Martin (Laurel) had two receptions for 67 yards and Jaylen Smith had two receptions for 27 yards with one touchdown.

The Wolves defense had 12 tackles for loss including six sacks with for quarterback hurries, five pass breakups, and two interceptions. Lakendrick James (Shelby) led the defense with nine tackles including four tackles for loss with two sacks. Collin McGowan (Wesson) had seven tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss while Kaden Dukes (Petal) and Zavion Shaw (Terry) had five tackles each with Dukes adding a half tackle for loss and two pass breakups. Kevontay Wells (Jackson), Montra Edwards (Lexington), and Deshawn Palmer (Cleveland) had one sack each while Billy Pullen (Kaufman, Texas) and Clyde Pinder, Jr. (Tampa, Fla.) had a half sack each.

Jahron Manning was named Defensive MVP of the game with three tackles, one interception, and one pass breakup.

Co-Lin finishes the 2023 season with a 10-2 overall record. This marks the second time in program history that the Wolves have hit the 10-win mark.