Maclay hands Wewa another one-point loss

Wewahitchka football coaches, players, and fans looked forward to last Friday night’s game against the Maclay Marauders in Tallahassee.  After all,  senior quarterback Alex Williams would be making his return to the lineup after missing  the last three games due to an injury.

Williams did not disappoint, as he  gained 176 yards on 22 carries to complement the strong running of sophomore Zay McDaniel, with 142 yards, and senior Landon Hysmith. who gained 77 yards, as the trio combined for 395 rushing yards, four touchdowns, and three 2-point conversions.

Unfortunately for the Gators and their fans, the game’s outcome would be decided by the toe of Marauder senior  Tucker Hicks, whose field goal and four extra points made the difference in the 31-30 Maclay win over the hard-luck Gators.

Wewa, falling to 1-5 for the season, has now endured three one-point losses, and as Coach Bobby Johns pointed out, “the only game we were out of was against  Port St. Joe.”

Williams put the Gators on the board in the first quarter with a 1-yard run and a 2-point conversion, but the defense could not find an answer for the arm of junior quarterback Michael Grant, who hit on 14 of 25 passes for 162 yards and three scores for the now 2-3 Marauders.

McDaniel’s 42-yard dash and Hysmith’s 2-point run in the third quarter doubled the Gators’ score to 16. 

Wewa scored twice more in the final frame, with McDaniel taking it over the goal line from the 6-yard line followed by Hysmith’s 12-yard score. 

Regrettably, the 2-point attempt after McDaniel’s touchdown failed, which would ultimately leave the Gators with a one-point deficit when the final horn sounded.

Johns and the Gators will try to right the ship this Friday, Oct. 15, when they host Cottondale for Homecoming.  Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST.