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| Westview can't hold Huntingdon's Holder in check |
By: Stephanie Sturgis - Press Sports Editor
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Posted: Tuesday, August 25, 2009 4:30 pm
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Hard to hold back — Huntingdon running back Kennon Holder was regularly pursued by WHS defenders (from left) DeMarcus Williams, Colton Nanney, Brian West and Denzel Cook.
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With the game on the line in the waning seconds, the Westview Chargers came up a foot short and lost their season-opener 35-34 to the visiting Huntingdon Mustangs on Thursday night at Graham Stadium in Martin.
Trailing 35-28 with 59 seconds left to play, the Chargers completed a hectic drive down the field to score. Starting at their own 40 after a squib kick, Westview resorted to a trick play that worked in a big way. The reverse flea flicker had the ball go from DeMarcus Williams to Brian West who flipped it back to quarterback Tanner Spencer. Spencer's pass downfield to Mark Tucker gained 44 yards to the HHS 26. After a spike to stop the clock and a near interception, Spencer had another incompletion before West made a great toe-dragging catch along the sideline to convert on fourth down. Tucker then made a catch on a slant to the 2-yard line.
After another spike, Williams got a big hole to run through for the touchdown to cut the Mustang lead to 35-34 with 11.4 seconds left in the game.
WHS head coach Don Coady opted to go for the win instead of the tie. On the two-point play, the handoff again went to Williams who was hauled down inside the one to set off a Mustang celebration.
“I wouldn’t do it different any other time,” Westview head coach Don Coady said of playing for the win in regulation. “We hadn’t stopped them in a 10-yard situation rarely all night, so there was no sense to think we were going to do it in overtime.”
Coady was referring to his defense's inability to slow down Huntingdon's offense and, in particular, Mustang running back Kennon Holder. The senior rushed for 268 yards on 31 carries, caught the go-ahead 95-yard touchdown pass and scored all five HHS touchdowns.
After a scoreless first quarter, it appeared the defenses might dominate, but that changed mid way through the second quarter. Westview took the lead on Spencer's 4-yard bootleg and new Charger place-kicker Landon Prather scored his first point in football with the PAT for a 7-0 WHS lead with 6:23 left in the first half.
Holder gained 69 yards in the Mustangs' first possession of the second quarter. His 59-yard touchdown romp put the Mustangs on the board with 2:42 to play in the half. Jorge Perez' kick missed the mark leaving WHS in front by one at 7-6.
The Chargers seemed to regain the momentum when Williams returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. Prather's kick boosted the lead to 14-6.
The Chargers maintained the lead when Abraham Haddad picked off Bam Melton's pass at the WHS 17 with 48 seconds left until halftime.
Westview increased its lead with the opening drive of the third quarter. A 36-yard leaping catch by West set up Williams' 15-yard touchdown run. Prather's kick gave WHS a 21-7 lead with just two minutes gone in the third frame.
Holder struck again on the next Huntingdon drive. A 45-yard kick return by Brittian Thompson gave the Mustangs great field position at the Charger 46, and Holder did the rest. He had a 34-yard run and covered the final two yards of the drive on fourth down. Melton ran in the two-pointer for a 21-15 score with 7:27 left in the third.
Westview's next drive was interrupted by Martez Hampton's interception of a Spencer pass at the Mustang 41.
Huntingdon then knotted the score when Holder broke through the line on fourth-and-6 and rumbled 24 yards to the end zone. Perez' kick was low, leaving the score tied at 21-all with 2:14 left in the third quarter.
On the next kickoff, Williams raced 77 yards, getting a key block from Garrett Vincent to score. Prather split the uprights for a 28-21 Westview lead.
The Mustangs answered, driving 77 yards in eight plays. The drive was capped when Holder took a pitch and then cut back for a 39-yard TD run. Holder was stopped short on the two-pointer to leave WHS in the lead at 28-27 with 10:29 left to play.
Westview was then held to a three-and-out series before Huntingdon fumbled a snap. Logan Callins recovered for Westview at the HHS 36.
The Chargers moved the ball down to the 5, but on fourth down Spencer was forced to scramble and was hauled down short of the end zone to give Huntingdon the ball.
On the second snap, Melton completed his only pass of the night, finding Holder behind the defense for a 95-yard touchdown strike to give the Mustangs their first lead of the game. Holder ran in the two-pointer for a 35-28 Huntingdon advantage to set up the late dramatics.
Huntingdon-Westview, Stats
Huntingdon 0 7 14 14—35
Westview 0 14 14 6—34
Second Quarter
WHS — Tanner Spencer 4-yard run, (Landon Prather kick), 6:23
HHS — Kennon Holder 59-yard run, (Jorge Perez kick), 2:42.
WHS — DeMarcus Williams 85-yard kickoff return, (Prather kick), 2:28.
Third Quarter
WHS — Williams 15-yard run, (Prather kick), 9:57.
HHS — Holder 2-yard run, (Bam Melton run), 7:27.
HHS — Holder 24-yard run, (kick failed), 2:26.
WHS — Williams 77-yard kickoff return, (Prather kick), 2:14.
Fourth Quarter
HHS — Holder 39-yard run, (run failed), 10:29.
HHS — Holder 95-yard pass from Melton, (Holder run), 00:59.
WHS — Williams 2-yard run, (run failed), 00:11.4.
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HHS WHS
First Downs 19 14
Rushes-yards 51-370 32-147
Passing yards 95 130
Comp-Att-Int 1-4-1 7-11-1
Punts 1-33 2-25
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 0-0
Penalties-yards 1-5 3-25
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Individual Statistics
Rushing — Huntingdon, Kennon Holder 31-268, Brittian Thompson 13-61, Bam Melton 5-35, Tyler Simpson 2-6; Westview, DeMarcus Williams 20-112, Chevy Taylor 6-22, Tanner Spencer 5-14, Brian West 1-(-1).
Passing — Huntingdon, Melton 1-4-1 — 95; Westview, Spencer 7-11-1 — 130.
Receiving — Huntingdon, Holder 1-95; Westview, West 5-76, Mark Tucker 2-54.
Records — Huntingdon 1-0, Westview 0-1.
Next Game — Huntingdon will host Milan, while Westview visits McKenzie with both games kicking off at 7:30 on Friday night. |
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