The Fayetteville Tigers knew that Watertown wanted revenge when they made the trip to take on the 2A power for their season opener. Last year, Watertown rolled into Tiger Hill expecting an easy win over the smaller classification Tigers. They left Tiger Hill with a 42-20 thumping.
Watertown wanted their chance at redemption, but Fayetteville, after a slow start, crushed the Purple Tigers 36-12 in front of their home fans.
Watertown built an early 10-0 lead on the Tigers, but Fayetteville Coach Daniel Johnson didn’t panic. He kept the team focused and they rallied and outscored the Purple Tigers, 36-2, for the remainder of the game.
Aljarea Johnson and Sam Willoughby each scored twice for the Tigers.
The Tigers were down two of their key players who missed the game. Both players are expected to return which should be unwelcome news for Fayetteville’s future opponents.
“(I’m) really proud of how our kids handled adversity,” Johnson said. “Playing without KJ and Isaiah and getting down, 10-0, early we battled back to take control of the game. There were some mistakes that we have to clean up. One resulted in a safety. But our defense had five turnovers and our offense imposed their will late.”
It could appear the 2022 version of Fayetteville Tigers might be ready for another title run after their opening performance. Fayetteville welcomes the Lewis County Panthers to Tiger Hill this week.
