Earning their first win of the year after four games, the Paden City Wildcat varsity football team brought home the win on Friday, defeating cross county rivals, the Hundred Hornets, 46-40.

“It was a wild and crazy game,” said head coach of the ‘Cats, Brent Croasmun. “We were ahead 38-6 at the half, and the next thing we knew they were back in the game.”

The Wildcats seemed to score at will in the first half, putting 38 points on the scoreboard within the allotted 24 minutes, while holding the Hornets to only six. At the end of three, the ‘Cats still had a dominant lead in the game, 46-12.

In the fourth, however, Hornet speedster, Chris Varner, came alive for the home team and Hundred put 28 points on the board putting the score at 46-40 causing the Paden City faithful to squirm in their seats.

“Hundred had the ball with about 1:30 to go in the game and Kennedy Cain intercepted it to give us control,” the coach said. “We had eleven guys to finish the game, that was it. I don’t know what would have happened had we not got the ball back then.”

Paden City achieved 318 rushing yards on 39 carries and 191 passing yards for a total of 509 positive yards in the game.

Brandon Cross was the leading rusher, gaining 214 yards on 26 carries and three touchdowns; Zach Heasley gained 39 yards on six carries and one touchdown; Craig Allen ran the ball four times for 16 yards; Drew Bidwell rushed twice for 38 yards; and Devon Price carried the ball once for 11 yards.

Wildcat quarterback, Heasley, completed seven of nine passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns; and Bidwell completed one-of-one for 28 yards.

Kennedy Cain led all Paden City receivers with three catches for 88 yards and one TD; Price had two catches for 50 yards and one touchdown; Cross had two catches for 24 yards; and Bidwell caught one pass for 29 yards.

Scoring in the game for the ‘Cats were Cross, who scored three touchdowns, two two-point conversion runs and one two point reception for 24 points; Cain had one reception for a touchdown and caught two, two-point receptions for 10 points; Price caught a touch down pass for six points; and Heasley rushed for a touchdown, six points.

Defensively, Willie Wilkinson had 15 tackles in the game; Kyle Postlethwait, 10 tackles; Allen, 10 tackles, and Cross, eight tackles. Cain and Price each had an interception and Cross recovered a fumble.

Paden City will host the Cameron Dragons on Friday as they celebrate Homecoming. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. with the Homecoming queen to be selected at halftime.