By: SYLIS MANUEL
Staff Reporter
BASILE - The Basile Bearcats stifled the Oberlin Tigers 19-8 in a largely run-centric offensive effort from both teams.
Basile, with the win, now hosts Haynesville, who defeated Oakdale 36-16, in their quarterfinal playoff match up Friday night.
The game against Oberlin was mostly a stalemate with each team trading long, but fruitless drives. After starting a second drive that leaked into the second quarter, the Bearcats would strike first. Ashton Deaville broke off a huge run from the Tigers 34-yard line that brought Basile to the 2-yard line. Basile let Deaville punch in the remaining 2 yards to open up the scoring. The ensuing extra point kick was blocked by Oberlin’s De’sean Deville, but Basile still took a 6-0 lead with 11:27 left in the second quarter.
Oberlin would show its creativity on its following drive, splitting the ball between three different runners for a grueling drive that brought the Tigers to the Bearcat 7-yard line. There, Colby McMahon threw a slant to Derrick Deville, who reached paydirt. Their two point try would result in an interception, tieing the score at 6-6 with 4:52 remaining in the first half.
On the kickoff, Basile was unable to get to the live ball in time as it hit the ground, and Oberlin was able to recover with excellent field position inside the Bearcat 30-yard line. A few short plays later, though, a pass from McMahon was picked off. Basile was able to capitalize off the turnover and reach the end zone after a few plays, with the score coming from Ashton Deaville on a 48-yard run. The extra point was successful, increasing the score to 13-6 with just over a minute remaining in the quarter.
Oberlin was unable to muster up a score on the final drive of the first half, and the two teams headed into the locker rooms.
The third quarter was largely back-and-forth, but neither team was able to earn a score despite each having lengthy drives. But to mirror the first score, Basile would eventually score on a drive that continued into the following quarter.
This score would come off the back of Horace Edwards Jr., who would rush up the gut and bust out a 17-yard score. The extra point kick bounced off the crossbar, and Basile would hold a comfortable 19-6 lead with 8:59 reaming in the game.
Oberlin struggled to run on the first three plays of their next drive and was forced to throw the ball on 4th-and-long. The ball was launched far downfield and intercepted and returned just past the line of scrimmage in Basile territory.
The Tiger defense refused to go down without a fight, however, stuffing Basile on all but one of its runs, of which earned 21 yards for the Bearcats. Oberlin then was able to block a punt and received the punt on the Basile 30-yard line.
The Tigers’ worst enemy showed to be the clock on this drive, and they were unable to run the ball, being down two scores with just over two minutes.
After an incompletion and a sack, the Bearcats recorded a third interception at the goal line. Basile was only able to earn one net yard however. During the punt, two Tiger defenders would run past the blocks and pressured the punt, that ran out the back of the endzone for a safety instead of taking the sack in the end zone. Despite the score being 19-8, the Tigers were still down two scores with only 1:44 remaining in the quarter.
Once again, Oberlin was forced to pass. The first pass would earn the Tigers 24 yards. The next two attempts would fall incomplete, and with the clock winding down, Oberlin would need a miracle. The Tigers quarterback launched a bomb down field, and Basile’s Logan David jumped the route and earned the Bearcats their fourth pick, capping off an outstanding defensive effort form the Bearcats.
June 20, 2026
