For the second-straight season, the Wilson Tiger varsity football team began district play with a lopsided win over the Coyle Bluejackets.

Last year, the Tigers defeated Coyle by a 48-14 margin at home.

Last Thursday, the Wilson gridiron squad walked off the Bluejackets’ home field with a decisive 50-8 victory to sit atop the District C-3 standings with a 1-0 district record.

The Tigers will look to remain undefeated in district play this Friday when they welcome the Oaks-Mission Warriors to town for a C-3 showdown. Oaks-Mission enters the district meeting at 0-1 in the C-3 standings following a 21-14 loss to Wesleyan Christian last Friday.

Kickoff for Friday’s home game against Oaks-Mission is set for 7 p.m. Prior to the district contest, Wilson High School will crown a 2023 Football Homecoming Queen.

In last Thursday’s district opener against Coyle, the Tigers opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 5-yard TD pass from Charles Shelburn to Talan Dobson. Charles Shelburn ran in the conversion attempt to give Wilson the early 8-0 advantage.

The host Bluejackets knotted the score at 8-8 on a 1-yard run and successful conversion run in the opening frame.

The remaining three quarters belonged to the visitors, as the Wilson squad scored 42 unanswered points in the final 36 minutes of regulation to walk away with the decisive victory.

The go-ahead score came on a 5-yard strike from Charles Shelburn to Zion Shelburn in the second quarter. Charles Shelburn’s successful conversion run following the TD pass gave the Tigers a 16-8 advantage.

The final two Wilson scores in the second quarter came on TD passes of 20 and 50 yards, respectively, from Zion Shelburn to Keshon Shelburn. Juaqin Rivera ran in the conversion attempt following the first passing touchdown, while the other conversion try was unsuccessful, giving the visitors a 30-8 lead at halftime.

The Wilson defense accounted for the lone score in the third quarter, as Rivera scooped up a Coyle fumble at the Wilson 40 and raced 60 yards to paydirt for the defensive score. The try for two was unsuccessful to push the Tiger lead to 36-8 with 12 minutes remaining in regulation.

A 45-yard aerial strike from Zion Shelburn to Keshon Shelburn and successful conversion run by Rivera began the fourth-quarter scoring for Wilson, extending the visitors’ margin to 36 points (44-8), while Ethan Cullum put the finishing touches on the decisive district-opening win with a 1-yard plunge later in the final frame.

--- Wilson 50, Coyle 8

Wilson: 8 - 22 - 6 - 14 (50) Coyle: 8 - 0 - 0 - 0 (8) --- First Quarter

Wilson - Talan Dobson, 5-yard pass from Charles Shelburn (Charles Shelburn run)

Coyle - 1-yard run (Run Good) --- Second Quarter

Wilson - Zion Shelburn, 5-yard pass from Charles Shelburn (Charles Shelburn run) Wilson - Keshon Shelburn, 20-yard pass from Zion Shelburn (Juaquin Rivera run) Wilson - Keshon Shelburn, 50-yard pass from Zion Shelburn (Pass Failed) --- Third Quarter

Wilson - Rivera, 60-yard fumble return (Pass Failed) --- Fourth Quarter

Wilson - Keshon Shelburn, 45-yard pass from Zion Shelburn (Rivera run) Wilson - Ethan Cullum, 1-yard run (Run Failed)