By Brice Cherry

Tribune-Herald youth sports editor

After 12 quarters of football, the Waco High Lions have plenty of wounds to lick. Fortunately for the Lions, however, their win total remains as healthy as ever.

Despite sometimes using fourth-string players, second-ranked Waco High relied on a punishing defense to scratch past Corsicana, 31-13, Friday night at Waco ISD Stadium.

The training room for Waco High (3-0) was already full prior to Friday’s game, and it only received more visitors. Running backs Jarred Salubi and Bronshae’Keon Dugas and offensive lineman Nicholas Johnson joined already-injured starters Kyle Carter, Jerold Smith and Charles Silmon on the sideline, but the Lions showed they have plenty of power in reserve, as several backups made big plays in crunch time.

“We had some guys step in and do even more than we asked,” Waco High coach Johnny Tusa said. “We had to rethink our strategy a bit (due to the injuries). But life is like that sometime. We told the guys, ‘Nobody promised you it would be easy. They only promised you it would be worth it.’ ”

The victory certainly wasn’t a laugher by any stretch of the imagination, as Corsicana (2-1) kept things tight for much of the game thanks to two big plays over a 23-second span in the second quarter.

Waco High controlled the ball and the clock for much of the first half, keeping the chain gang moving behind the legs-churning, pile-moving runs of Salubi. After the Baylor-bound tailback drug a couple of Corsicana defenders into the end zone on a 13-yard touchdown jaunt with 4:25 left in the second quarter, the Lions led, 10-0.

But then the Tigers clawed their way into the game — and quickly. Two plays after Salubi’s score, Tiger quarterback Ethan Bryant found his blue-chip receiver Omarius Hines on a short pass to the flat. Hines took care of business from there, sprinting past a bevy of Lion defenders, hurdling one and scampering 68 yards for a press-the-record-button highlight score.

“That pass was actually behind the line of scrimmage, and give them credit, they turned into a big play,” Tusa said. “We had several guys who had a shot at (Hines), but he made them miss. There are certain guys who are a joy to watch, and he’s one of them.”

“I had a challenge tonight, and I like a challenge,” said Waco High’s own blue-chipper, safety Victor Johnson. “He’s probably the best receiver I’ll play against all year.”

Corsicana kept the sweet catches coming. On Waco High’s ensuing possession, the Tigers’ Wylum Bivins leapt to snag a downfield pass from Lion QB Clarence Willis, then darted down the sideline and into the end zone to give Corsicana a 13-10 edge.

It marked the first time Waco High had trailed all season, and the Lions responded like a championship contender. They briskly put together a six-play, 65-yard scoring drive, capped off by Willis’ seven-yard TD run with 80 seconds to play before the halftime break.

“We ran 40 plays to their 12 in the first half, and we definitely controlled the line of scrimmage,” Tusa said. “But it’s still a game of scoring, and we had to come out in the second half with a good plan.”

Whether planned or not, Waco High gave itself some breathing room by cashing in on a Corsicana mistake to start the third quarter. A botched snap on a Tiger punt gave Waco High prime field position at the Corsicana 6, and Bronshae’Keon Dugas made the Tigers pay with a two-yard TD plunge.

Dugas later left the game with cramps, and Salubi didn’t play the final 21/2 quarters because of a toe injury, yet still managed to run for 112 yards and a touchdown.

“We’ve got to drink our milk or something,” Johnson said. “Fortunately, we’ve got some good backups.”

Just as fortunately, Waco High’s defense was fully intact. The Lions turned back Corsicana at every second-half opportunity, even keeping the Tigers off the board on a 15-play, 60-yard drive to open the fourth quarter. Corsicana set up to attempt a 38-yard field goal, but the snap went awry again, and Peter Smith swooped in to tackle the holder and give the Lions the ball back.

Waco High squirreled the win away from there, as fourth-string tailback Toylon Clark broke loose for a 31-yard touchdown run with 1:18 to play.

“Toylon’s run was a big relief from where we were standing,” Tusa said. “That was a thing of beauty.”

Waco 31, Corsicana 13

Corsicana 0 13 0 0 — 13

Waco High 3 14 7 7 — 31

First quarter

Waco High — Ernesto Guevara 33 field goal, 7:36

Second quarter

Waco High — Jarred Salubi 13 run (Guevara kick), 4:25

Corsicana — Omarius Hines 68 pass from Ethan Bryant (run failed), 4:02

Corsicana — Wylum Bivins 39 interception return (Kyle Richardson kick), 3:39

Waco High — Clarence Willis 7 run (Guevara kick), 1:20

Third quarter

Waco High — Bronshae’Keon Dugas 2 run (Guevara kick), 8:15

Fourth quarter

Waco High — Toylon Clark 31 run (Guevara kick), 1:18

Corsicana Waco High

First Downs 10 19

Rushes-Yards 28-80 46-270

Comp-Att-Int 7-14-0 7-14-1 Passing Yards 95 81

Total Yards 175 351

Fumbles-Lost 1-0 3-1

Penalties-Yards 1-5 3-25

Punts-Avg 4-36.8 2-41

Individual Stats

Rushing

Corsicana — Scotty Bryant 15-69; James Fowler 3-25; Omarius Hines 2-7; Ethan Bryant 7-9; Team 2-(minus-30)

Waco High — Bronshae’Keon Dugas 8-11, 1 TD; Jarred Salubi 14-112, 1 TD; Peter Smith 1-10; Clarence Willis 11-45, 1 TD; Keyshun Russell 5-15; Lamarquet Jones 1-7; Toylon Clark 6-70, 1 TD

Passing

Corsicana — Ethan Bryant 7-14-0, 95 yards, 1 TD

Waco High — Clarence Willis 7-14-1, 81 yards

Receiving

Corsicana — James Fowler 1-4; Omarius Hines 3-85, TD; Nea Williams 1-4; Scotty Bryant 1-(minus-1); Jonathon Neal 1-3

Waco High — Walter Hardin 3-33; Jarred Salubi 1-6; Keyshun Russell 1-8; Bronshae’Keon Dugas 1-4; Denzel Mitchell 1-30