Coach Bud Rowley’s Oxford Wildcats have taken some lumps in recent weeks but on Friday the Cats handed out the lumps, in the form of running back Darren Lumpkin, who ran for five TDs in a 35-0 thrashing of Royal Oak.
The victory ended a five-game skid for Oxford.
This Friday the Wildcats will host Oak Park in the final game of the team’s inaugural season in the Oakland Activities Association White Division.
The Oxford defense was especially stingy, holding the Ravens to 83 total yards of offense. Royal Oak had 57 of those yards in the opening drive of the game but failed to score on that drive and couldn’t muster only 26 yards for the rest of the game against a tenacious Wildcat defense.
Lumpkin, meanwhile, had the best night of any Oxford running back this season, scoring on runs of 18 and thee yards in the second quarter.
Matt Kitchner’s two PATs staked the Wildcats to a 14-0 halftime advantage.
In the third quarter, Lumpkin continued to find the end zone, scoring on runs of one and 35 yards.
He added the final score of the night in the fourth quarter on another one-yard run. Kitchner added the three conversions in the second half.
Rowley said he was happy with the team’s performance and expected the team to close out the season with a victory on Friday.
‘We got better. We are all well now. Everybody got to play tonight,? Rowley said. ‘We expect to have a great week of practice and usher our seniors out with a victory like it should be.?
The Wildcats had their most prolific offensive night of the year, running for 271 yards and passing for 60.
Lumpkin led all rushers with 107 yards on 15 carries. Anthony McDugald has 71 yards on nine carries and Prescott Line ran for 53 yards on eight carries.
Quarterback Vito Giannola threw for 60 yards on five-for-eight passing.
The Wildcat defense was led by Aaron Stuk, who had 10 tackles and an interception. Middle linebacker Line had 17 tackles, including seven solo tackles.