Published: October 04, 2008 12:47 am      

Tucker County 39, Southern 22

HAMBLETON, W.Va. — Tucker County scored on Southern’s first play from scrimmage, and then returned a kickoff in the final minute of the first half to distance itself from Southern in a 17-point win Friday evening.

Tucker reached the end zone on its first drive, and got lucky when Southern fumbled its first offensive play and watched Trenton DiBartolomeo return it 33 yards for a touchdown. DiBartolomeo was responsible for the 71-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 45 seconds left before halftime.

Brutus Scheffell finished with 123 yards on nine carries and scored two touchdowns for the Rams. His first was a 53-yard run in the first quarter, and then a two-yard run in the fourth.

Southern was close to tying the game late in the second quarter, but fumbled the ball out of the end zone for a touchback. Tucker would score on a 70-yard run from Brandon Miller as a result of the fumble.

Ryan Fitzwater had the other Southern score when he fell on a fumbled ball in the end zone with a minute left in the second quarter.

Scheffell added 124 return yards to finish with 245 total yards, and Travis Skeweris had a team-high 133 yards on 14 carries. Southern rushed for 296 yards as a team.

Southern slips to 1-3 and will host Petersburg Friday.