Tigers Notch First Win Over Pontotoc

The Saltillo Tigers collected their first victory of the 2021 season with a 29-26 win over the previously undefeated Pontotoc Warriors.

The Warriors started the game off hot on offense with a 71-yard run on their first offensive play to take the early 7-0 lead and added another score to move the lead to 13-0 at the end of one.

Chance Johnson connected with E.J. Fisk on a touchdown pass early in the second to cut the lead to 13-6. The Tiger offense followed with another score on their next possession on a 40-yard field goal from Carson Langford to bring it to a four-point deficit.

Pontotoc got the second half started off right with a touchdown on their opening drive to extend their lead to 19-9.

Johnson came right back for Saltillo with his second touchdown pass to Wayne Earl Smith to cut it to 19-16 midway through the third quarter.

Phoenix Moore brought the Tigers their first lead of the contest with a early fourth-quarter score to go ahead 22-19.

That lead would be short lived, however, as Pontotoc took the ensuing kickoff to the house to retake the lead 26-22.

Johnson, as he did all night, brought his offense back down the field, capped off by a 52-yard touchdown pass to J.T. Beasley with just over a minute left to take a 29-26 lead.

Pontotoc got the ball back, but they would be stopped on fourth down in the final minute by the Tiger defense to preserve Saltillo’s first victory of the year.

Saltillo moves to 1-3 and heads to Cleveland Central next Friday. Pontotoc falls to 2-1 and heads to take on Itawamba Agricultural next Friday.