Homecoming celebrations may have been a distraction for the state ranked West Orange-Stark Mustangs Friday night at Dan R. Hooks Stadium. The Mustangs extended their winning streak, but it was not easy as they won 26-13 over the Hardin-Jefferson Hawks.
West Orange-Stark (6-0, 2-0) has now won 33 straight games. Hardin-Jefferson (1-3, 0-1) took the first lead in the game and only trailed by a touchdown with one quarter to play in the contest.
Trouble with snaps from the center to the quarterback raised its ugly head again for the Mustangs. At least three snaps eluded Mustang quarterback Chaka Watson for a loss of close to 50 yards and one was recovered by the Hawks in the fourth quarter that gave them new life, but the West Orange-Stark defense held and intercepted a desperation pass to seal the deal.
Hawks’ quarterback Brayden Pelt had a great first half throwing the football. Pelt completed 5 of 6 passes for 98 yards. On Hardin-Jefferson’s third possession Pelt connected on a 45-yard pass to Dylin Duhon-Walker. The next play he found Mason Murray alone in the corner of the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown pass. The kick was blocked, but the Hawks had taken a surprising 6-0 advantage with 8:48 to play in the second quarter.
It took a turnover for West Orange-Stark to get on the board in the final two minutes of the half. After an errant snap cost the Mustangs 20 yards they went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 30. An incomplete pass gave the Hawks the ball with just 3:22 before half. On the first play Pelt fumbled and the Mustangs’ Herzel Washington recovered at the 27.
It appeared Watson had tied the score on a 26-yard run, but the Mustangs were called for holding moving the ball back to the 25. Kavyn Cooper gained four yards to the 21. Watson threw to Justin Sibley who went to his knees in the end zone for the touchdown. Chad Dallas put West Orange-Stark on top 7-6 with 1:50 before halftime. Both teams finished the half with 113 yards of offense.
During the halftime festivities Aimee Fregia was named the 2017 Homecoming Queen for West Orange-Stark. It was announced that Mustang Tyshon Watkins was named the Homecoming King earlier in the day at the high school.
Hardin-Jefferson won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. The Hawks managed one first down to start the third quarter before the Mustangs’ Blake Robinson snatched a pass from Pelt to give West Orange-Stark possession at its own 44.
It took one play for West Orange-Stark to go up by eight. Cooper took a handoff from Watson, found a hole up the middle, cut to his left, broke a couple of tackles including one at the goal line to complete a spectacular 56-yard touchdown. Dallas made it 14-6 with 8:33 left in the third.
The Mustangs would go up by two scores two possessions later. Starting at the Hardin-Jefferson 44 West Orange-Stark needed six plays to get six. Sibley gained 13 yards on the first play, and five yards two plays later. Watson completed a pass to Kaleb Ramsey for a first down to the 11. Two plays later Cooper scored from the 11. Cooper finished the night with 101 yards on 11 carries and his two touchdowns. The score was 20-6 just 51 seconds from the end of the third quarter.
Sixteen seconds later the contest was back to a one score difference. Murray found an opening on an off-tackle carry and then sprinted down the Mustangs’ sideline before skipping out of a tackle at about the 20 for a 75-yard touchdown. Garrett Hampton’s kick cut the West Orange-Stark lead to 20-13.
A key defensive stand by the Mustangs’ “Chain Gang” defense setup the next West Orange-Stark score. A Chad Dallas punt pinned the Hawks at their own 9. Three plays by Hardin-Jefferson were all stopped for losses, the last one narrowly escaping a safety. The Hawks punted and Jarron Morris made a very good return to the Hardin-Jefferson 10.
Cooper moved the ball to the one on first down. Watson got the touchdown on a quarterback sneak. From the swinging gate the Mustangs went for two, but were stopped keeping the score 26-13 with 7:14 left in the game.
The fumbled snap later gave Hardin-Jefferson the ball at the Mustangs’ 26 with 2:49 to play. On fourth down Pelt’s pass was picked off by Ja’Vonn Ross who returned it to the 28 spoiling the Hawks’ final dream of an upset.
West Orange-Stark will have its bye week next Friday. The Mustangs resume district play in two weeks at Liberty. Hardin-Jefferson plays at home next Friday night against the Liberty Panthers.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
HJ 0 6 7 0- 13
WOS 0 7 13 6- 26
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