COMMERCE, Ga. — Wesleyan scored on all four of its second-half drives on the way to a 42-21 season-opening win over Commerce at Ray Lamb Stadium.
The Wolves (1-0) scored three plays into the third quarter to break a 14-14 tie. Quarterback Ben Brown hit Carter Hayes with a 61-yard touchdown. Brown followed that up with a 71-yard scoring pass to Wes Bail with 2:40 left in the third quarter.
Brown threw for 369 yards and six touchdowns on 19-of-25 passing. It was a great start for the record-setting senior who threw for more than 3,000 yards and 42 touchdowns last year.
Behind the running of Tysean Wiggins, Commerce (0-1) tried to stay close with its first two drives of the second half. The Tigers drove deep into Wesleyan territory but failed to score. They turned the ball over on downs at Wolves’ 19 and fumbled at the Wolves’ 15.
Wiggins finished with a team-high 221 yards on 28 carries, while the Tigers finished with 424 yards on the ground.
The game was delayed for nearly 40 minutes by lightning. When play resumed, the Wolves scored their third touchdown of the second half on Brown’s 19-yard scoring pass to Bail for a 35-14 lead.
Commerce took just one play to get that score back. Jacari Huff scored on a 64-yard run. He rushed for 154 yards on eight carries and scored two touchdowns. His first score, a 57-yard run, gave Commerce a 14-7 lead with 11:52 left in the first half.
The Wolves, ranked No.8 in the Class A Private, pushed their lead back to 21-point with Brown’s 20-yard pass to Bail with 1:54 left in the game.
The teams were tied 14-14 at the half. Wesleyan scored first on a 36-yard Brown pass to Brice Gillis. The Tigers tied the game on Wiggins’ 16-yard touchdown run. Wiggins ran for 102 yards on 14 carries in the first half.
Huff’s score gave Commerce a 14-7 lead before the Wolves tied the game on Brown and Bail’s first scoring connection, an 18-yard pass with 5:02 left in the first half.
Both teams are looking to make strong playoff runs this year. Each won their region championship and made quarterfinal runs in the 2023 playoffs.
Commerce, ranked No. 5 in Class A Division I, travels to play East Jackson next Friday while Wesleyan plays its home opener against North Hall.
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