The Fleming Wildcats met up with the Peetz Bulldogs in a rare Thursday night appearance last week. The Thursday contest marks the first and only Thursday scheduled in the six-game 2020 season.

Peetz received the opening kick off, but the Wildcat defense stopped their running plays short and forced the fourth down punt.

The Wildcats completed two plays on their first possession before sophomore Nolan Japp ran 45-plus yards to put Fleming on the board with six. Fleming led 6-0 following a failed points-after attempt with just over two minutes off the clock.

The Wildcats played solid defense in the Bulldogs' following possession and forced a punt for the second consecutive time. Senior Kade Comstock played deep to receive the punt and returned it 55 yards. A flag that looked like it would go against the Wildcats was ultimately overturned and Comstock's touchdown stood. The points-after attempt failed to go through the uprights, but Fleming remained on top 12-0.

Fleming's kick went deep and the defense met Peetz's offense on the five-yard line. The second play of their third possession would result in a first down at the 25-yard line, but a penalty would put them back at the 13. An incomplete third-down pass would put Peetz in punting formation once again.

Comstock's return put the Wildcat offense on the 22-yard line. From there, Comstock would call one play from the quarterback position that would put senior Chris Goss in the end zone for his first touchdown of the game and the Wildcats would go up 18-0 in the first quarter.

An illegal formation call on Fleming's kickoff would force them to kick from the 20-yard line. That coupled with a 15-yard return would allow the Bulldog offense to take over at their own 35. Peetz would turn the ball over a few short plays later on third down when a long pass gave Comstock the interception and Fleming took over on their 13-yard line.

A holding call on the Wildcats pushed Fleming back to the six-yard line and put them at second down and 22, but a pass from Comstock to Goss brought the Wildcat offense to mid-field. The play that followed, a Comstock to Goss handoff, would give Fleming first and goal at the 14-yard line. Comstock escaped a first-down sack and connected with senior Stan Tryboski who found the end zone. Fleming went up 24-0 still in the opening quarter.

The Bulldog ground game saw no mercy from Fleming's defense when they took over deep in their own territory. The first quarter closed at third down and 19 with the Bulldogs on their own six-yard line. A quick stop by the Wildcat defense brought up fourth down and long forcing the Bulldogs to punt.

Fleming would take over at the Bulldogs' 30-yard line, but the opening play - a long pass by Comstock - would be intercepted. Peetz's offense would take the field once again to be shut down by the home-team defense.

Fleming took over following the punt at the 28-yard line. Goss went up under center in the opening play of the possession and passed to Comstock who would run one in for a touchdown. A points-after attempt by senior Charles Hobbs sailed through the uprights and Fleming would go up 32-0 with just over seven minutes left in the half.

A Wildcat kickoff to the one-yard line would be returned by the Bulldogs to the 22-yard line. Three short plays later, the Bulldogs would punt on fourth and five - a punt that would wind up at the Wildcat 23-yard line.

The first three calls of the possession would go to sophomore Blake Feather from his quarterback cousin Braylen Feather. Blake Feather would take the ball on third down to complete the first down conversion, but three plays later the Wildcats would turn the ball over on downs on the Bulldogs' 21-yard line.

A completed pass for 27 yards on third and 13 kept the Bulldogs' next drive alive and 22-yard completion would put them in scoring position. Peetz would score their first touchdown on a six-yard pass in the play that followed, and their one-point conversion was caught to bring the score to 32-7 with :21 left in the half.

An onside kick by the Bulldogs that was recovered by Fleming made the 33-yard line the line of scrimmage for the Wildcat offense. Comstock pitched to Hobbs on second down at the 33-yard line and Hobbs ran the ball back for a home-team touchdown with :03 left in the first half.

The Wildcats followed that up with an onside kick that they recovered. They'd kneel on the ball to end the half up by a score of 38-7.

Fleming received to open the final 20 minutes of play. With the opening half kickoff bouncing out of bound, the Wildcats would begin their campaign at their own 30-yard line. Blake Feather took the pitch from quarterback Braylen Feather on third down to make the first down conversion and put the Wildcats in Bulldog territory. Another pitch to Blake Feather gave the Wildcats yardage on second down, but a third down sack for a loss of 10 yards brought up fourth down and 10. Fleming would capitalize on the following play, a fourth and 10 from the Bulldog 16-yard line, when Blake Feather got the call and ran 22 yards for six Wildcat points. Hobbs again put the points-after through the uprights and brought the score to 46-7.

A short Wildcat kick left the Bulldogs on their own 28-yard line. Their drive would be stopped short after four passing plays that failed to gain them a first down and the Wildcats took over just inside Bulldog territory.

Junior Maddix Welch took the first two calls of the drive and picked up a first down that put Fleming on the 22-yard line. Welch and freshman Wyatt Cochran took the next two carries picking up 11 yards before Welch's third down carry for 11 put the Wildcats in the end zone and made the score 52-7. With the Bulldogs down by 45, the running clock would be implemented around the middle of the third quarter.

Peetz's offense marched upfield fast following two big plays that put them at first and goal on Fleming's four-yard line. They found the end zone on the play that followed to give them their second TD of the contest, but a field goal attempt was blocked by junior Joel Muller and the score stood at 52-13.

The fourth quarter opened with a Bulldog kickoff that gave Fleming mid-field position. Fleming found themselves in punt formation just three short plays later, but a high snap and quick thinking on the part of senior punter Brady Kuntz gave Fleming a first down instead. Kuntz completed a pass to Goss and Goss returned the ball 20 yards to the Bulldog 20-yard line. A second down and 19 pitch that went to Welch found him in the end zone for six after a 24-yard jog. Hobbs lined up for the field goal and booted his third through the uprights for two, bringing the tally to 60-13.

Peetz regained the ball for their final possession at their own 15 and the Wildcats pushed them back three yards before the third down of the drive brought a Bulldog touchdown on a 68-yard return. A failed point-after attempt left the tally at 60-19.

Peetz's kickoff in the final minute of the game would result in another kickoff returned for a touchdown by the Wildcats. Kuntz ran the ball back for a 70-yarder.

Kuntz kickoff return for a touchdown marked his second of the season and the 10th of his career which tied the State record held by Tad Eurich who played for Simla from 1994-96 according to records listed on chsaa.org.

From the quarterback position, Comstock threw for 48 yards with two completions. He led the team in all purpose yards with 28 rushing yards and 103 on punt returns.

The Wildcats racked up 305 yards on the ground for the night. Blake Feather led the group with 78 yards on seven carries; one of those carries for a TD. Welch followed picking up 50 yards on eight carries with two touchdowns.

Goss led in receiving yards with 54. He caught two passes with a long of 34. Tryboski followed with 14 yards on one catch with a TD.

Kuntz led the Wildcat defense with 10 tackles in the contest. He brought down three solo and seven assisted. Goss followed at seven total with four solo and three assisted.

The Wildcats are set to travel this week, returning to Friday night play. They'll head to the home of the Briggsdale Falcons on Nov. 6 for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff.

Briggsdale enters the contest at 2-1 on the year. They suffered a three-point loss in week two action to the Prairie Mustangs. Their most recent win, according to MaxPreps, came at the home of the Peetz Bulldogs nearly two weeks ago when they took a 73-39 win.