BY: SHAYLA TERRY

After suffering a tough loss to Goshen the week before, the Luverne Tigers bounced back with a powerful 54-12 win against the Zion Chapel Rebels.

“We needed to come back and play well after struggling the week before, and that’s exactly what we did,” LHS Head Coach Scott Rials said.

The Tigers started the night with the first touchdown, followed by an extra point by sophomore linebacker Chase White. From there the touchdowns seemed to rain in. Sophomore quarterback Dionte (Tay) Brantley made a 61-yard connection with senior wide receiver  Antavious Brown for a touchdown. The pair connected again for 69-yard touchdown almost immediately following.

Freshman wide receiver Satyler Wilson matched two touchdowns as well, receiving for 51 yards total. Junior running back Marcus McGhee carried for 76 yards, and scored once during the game, followed by sophomore linebacker JJ Harris carrying for 61 yards, and one touchdown as well. Brantley rushed for an extra 83 yards, securing one touchdown of his own. Brantley was four for seven in passing.

While the touchdowns rolled in, the Tigers did have one error all night – securing the extra point field goal.

“We’ve got to solidify our kicking game,” Rials said.

“Sometimes we struggled in that.”

Three of the eight field goal attempts were missed.

Defensively, the Tigers succeeded in suppressing the Rebels.

“We got them stuck, and they couldn’t get any yards or move the ball very well,” Rials said. The Rebels did not score until late in the third quarter as well as again in the final seconds of the game. Sophomore linebacker Jason McMillian saw a huge moment in the third quarter when he captured a fumble and ran 80-yards for a Tiger touchdown.

Next week, the Tigers turn their sights to in-county rivals the Brantley High School Bulldogs. The Brantley Bulldogs hold a 2-2 record going into the rivalry game, while the Tigers are 3-1.

“They’re always a challenge,” Rials said.

“They’re good year in and year out. It’s a big game for us. We want to go out there and play well and represent the city of Luverne. You’ll see a good, clean, hard fought game.”

The rivalry game will take place on Friday at 7 p.m. at Brantley High School.