1 week Ago
DOTHAN – Friday night in Rip Hewes Stadium, the Enterprise High School Wildcats overcame 95 yards in penalties to improve to 3-0 by downing 7A Region 2 rival Dothan High School, 28-21, on a skin-soaking night that somehow didn’t produce fumbles by teams that combined to run plays with wet footballs 89 times. Enterprise opened scoring with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Mason Burkhardt to Andrew Purcell, capping a 12-play, 80-yard drive; Jose Secura Rocha added the first of his four PATs to put the Cats ahead, 7-0, with 5:27 left in the first quarter. Dothan began its first drive at its 49-yard line, but EHS defenders didn’t allow a first down and Eric Winters blocked a punt EHS recovered at its 32.
Enterprise quickly earned a first down, but penalties aided Dothan defenders in forcing an EHS punt by Walker Clark, whose 35-yard effort gave Dothan’s offense 76 yards to cover on its second series as the first period ended. The Wolves needed six plays to score; James Barnes ran 13 yards for the host team’s first touchdown and Johnathon Castillo tied the score with the PAT with 9:19 remaining in the second period. Beginning at its 35-yard line, Enterprise called on senior Dylan Smith all four snaps of the possession that produced a touchdown on Smith’s 55-yard dash with 7:15 to go in the first half; Rocha’s PAT put the Cats ahead, 14-7.
An exchange of penalties on Dothan’s next series led to the Wolves being stopped by EHS defenders on fourth-and-5 at the DHS 26. The Cats struck quickly when Burkhardt and Winters connected on a 22-yard touchdown completion with 2:55 left in the first half; Rocha put EHS ahead, 21-7. The two-touchdown lead was short-lived.
Dothan was forced to punt to end its next series, leaving EHS with 1:40 to play when its possession began at the visitor’s 20-yard line. Enterprise ran into trouble on its fourth snap when Dothan blocked a punt, with Asim White scoring on the play. Castillo trimmed the EHS lead to 21-14, where it remained until late in the third quarter.
Twenty-five yards in penalties against the EHS defense extended Dothan’s first possession of the second half that ended in a missed field goal from the EHS 19 with 6:28 remaining in the third period. Enterprise’s first series of the second half covered 80 yards in 10 plays and ended when Burkhardt completed a pass to Cates Blackmon, who battled his way for a 20-yard touchdown. Rocha’s PAT extended the EHS lead to 28-14 with 2:14 left in the third quarter.
Dothan’s next series, beginning at its 40-yard line, lasted eight plays and ended when Enterprise defenders stood firm after the Wolves had driven to the EHS 4-yard line, where they faced fourth-and-3. An incomplete pass gave the Cats the ball with 8:38 left in the rainy game. Dothan defenders then stymied the Cats and Clark’s 42-yard punt put the Wolves in business at their 46.
Enterprise defenders rose up and had the Wolves looking at fourth-and-6 at the EHS 29, when a 15-yard facemask call against the Cats put the Wolves at the EHS 14; three plays later, Alexander scored what proved to be the game’s final touchdown with 4:29 to play. Castillo’s PAT ended scoring at 28-21. Enterprise’s offense ended Dothan’s hope of a second consecutive win in the Wiregrass Area’s premier rivalry.
Enterprise took care of business and ran eight plays, the biggest a 43-yard burst by Smith from the EHS 24-yard-line, that helped EHS keep the ball until the final buzzer. Enterprise had 15 first downs, 243 yards on 41 rushing plays and 122 yards passing on five completions in nine attempts. Dothan had 10 first downs on 30 rushing attempts totaling 192 yards; the Wolves failed to complete any of their five pass attempts.
The Wolves had six penalties totaling 35 yards while the Cats were flagged 10 times for 95 yards. Friday’s victory put the Cats ahead, 4-2, in the series that began when Northview High School and Dothan merged in 2019. From 1913-2018, the Cats were 46-39-3 against Dothan High School’s Tigers, and 28-13 against Northview from 1978-2018.
Enterprise hosts Auburn this week while Dothan hosts No. 1 Central/Phenix City in key 7A Region 2 battles. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!.
