The Thayer Bobcats went up against the Portageville Bulldogs on November 10, 2023, in Portageville, Missouri, for the Class 1 District 1 Semifinals. The Bobcats’s season ended with a 49-8 loss to the Bulldogs.
First Half
In the first quarter, both teams held each other back, with neither team making any points. With 5:23 left in the first half, the Bulldogs already had 20 points on the board. When the Bobcats got the ball back, it was a critical play; Devin Harrington (#3 for Bobcats) threw the ball, which was caught by Dawson Harris (#7 for Bobcats) for 42 yards. Mark Spencer (#1 for Bobcats) followed that up with a 32-yard run right to the 3-yard line. Harrington went in for the touchdown while Spencer got the two-point conversion.
Almost Touchdown
With 17 seconds left in the half, Smith of the Bulldogs went in for another touchdown. The Bobcats may have gotten a touchdown from Rowan Spencer (#9 for Bobcats) on the kickoff return, but Portageville’s defense managed to grab his ankle and stop him. The score at halftime was 26-8.
No Scores
In the third quarter, both teams once again held each other to no points, although there were several times that were close. On a 2nd and 18 for the Bobcats, Harrington gave the ball to Mark Spencer, who threw a 43-yard pass to Rowan Spencer, who was wide open. Shortly thereafter, Harrington had a good 20-yard run. On 4th and 13 for the Bobcats, Harrington threw the ball to Brandon Prince (#5 for Bobcats), who did catch it but landed out of bounds. On several occasions throughout the second half, the Bobcats were in the red zone but just couldn’t convert it to a touchdown, so they gave the ball back to Portageville.
Close Out The Game
On the second play in the fourth quarter, Smith of the Bulldogs got his fourth touchdown of the game, making the score 34-8. Early on, when the Bobcats got the ball back, Harrington got hit hard and left the game. With 10:14 left in the game, the Bulldogs had a 54-yard touchdown play. With 6:15 left, the Bulldogs got the final touchdown of the game, making the final score 49-8. Portageville will advance to the Class 1 District 1 Finals next week against the Marionville Comets.
Bobcats
Although the score would say the game was easily won by Portageville, Thayer played their heart out and was a good match for Portageville. With only three seniors this year, the Bobcats will be exciting to watch next year. Throughout this season, Mark Spencer has gotten at least 100 yards rushing in every game except this game where he got around 90.
