MonticelloLive

The Weevil team discovered more about itself in a 38-35 loss against the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys Saturday Sept. 27. 

This shot shows the deciding play.

Tripp on far left #73 in the fourth quarter after his injury.

The Weevils faced adversity going into the second-half down 29-7. Coming back to tie the game in the fourth quarter 35-35, took much heart and dedication, but none stood out more than sophomore offensive lineman Tripp Boatner.

The ball was on the Tech 25-yard line in the fourth-quarter and the Weevil’s down 35-29 Boatner suffered a blow to the knee that had him lying on the ground in pain for about 30 seconds. When the trainer and head coach Gwaine Mathews started out to field Boatner jumped up.

“I saw the coach and the trainer go over to him and I read his lips and he (Tripp Boatner) said “I’m alright,” said Debra Boatner, Tripp’s mother. “That’s the kind of kid he is, he has the biggest heart.”

A few plays later the Weevils scored up the middle behind Boatner with a run by Johnny Polite to tie the game 35-35 with 4:29 left in the game.
‘”This football team is on the right path when you got people fighting like that when they are injured,” Mathews said. “We tried to get him out the game and he wouldn’t come out the game.”

After a Tech field goal and kickoff the Weevils would take over on its own 37-yard-line and Boatner came out with the offense limping trying to give it everything he had to be there for what would be the last drive of the night.

“The pain became unbearable, but I had to be there for my team I didn’t want to let them down,” Tripp said. “No matter what happen, I knew I wasn’t coming out.”

He did not come out and would help lead his team down to the 15 yard line to set up a game tying field goal that was unsuccessful. Giving the Weevil’s its first home loss of the year.

“He was upset more about the loss then his knee; it is about the team first for him,” Debra said. “I am really, really proud of him.”

The pain would finally set in on Tripp in the locker room. He went home with an ice bag on his knee and a crunch under each arm to aid him home.
“I will play next week,” Tripp said. “I am just going tape it up or something and I will be fine.”

The Weevil’s return to action Oct. 4 at Ouachita Baptist and it will be a televised game produced by Comcast Sports Southeast.

MIke Thomas, Author