Hawks Football Takes Down Belhaven

MONTGOMERY, Ala.- In their second USA South matchup of the season, Huntingdon Hawks football(2-2 overall, 2-0 USA South) defeated the reigning USA South champion Belhaven Blazers(1-3 overall, 1-1 USA South) 45-31.

How it happened

Receiving the ball to open the game, Belhaven moved the chains once on the drive before a sack by Austin Kerchner forced a punt. Following a 20 yard return from Timothy McReynolds, Huntingdon's offense stifled, going three and out before kicking the ball back to the Blazers.

Similar to their first drive, the Blazers managed to move the ball down field for two first downs before Cal George and Joe Brunson teamed up to take down Belhaven's quarterback, forcing another punt. After another short drive from Huntingdon, Belhaven scored the first points of the afternoon on a three yard rush to take a 7-0 lead into the second quarter.

The Hawks responded on the opening play of the second quarter with a touchdown of their own, as Dorian Smith found RJ White on a slant route that White took 55 yards downfield for the game-tying score. After Huntingdon's score, Belhaven started their next drive with a 16 yard chunk play to move down the field, but an acrobatic interception from Cj Figgers gave the ball back to the Hawks with 13:17 to go until halftime. Huntingdon's offense found life after Figger's interception, putting together a 6 play scoring drive that ended with another touchdown pass from Dorian Smith, this time to Brody Covington from 23 yards out to put the Hawks ahead 14-7.

Following a 41 yard kickoff return from the Blazers, Belhaven orchestrated a 10 play, 5:23 long drive that resulted in a field goal to cut the deficit to 14-10. Receiving the ball following the Blazer's field goal, dangerous return-man Timothy McReynolds fielded the kickoff at the 15 yard line, breaking multiple tackles on the way to an 85-yard return touchdown to extend Huntingdon's lead to 21-10 with 4 minutes remaining in the half. On the following drive, Huntingdon safety Jahmir Cromblin managed to poke the ball free from Belhaven's running back, with Cameron Cooper falling on the ball to give Huntingdon another possession with three and a half minutes to go until halftime. 

Draining the clock as they moved down the field, Troy Garner found the endzone on a five-yard rush to push the Hawks lead to 28-10 as the first half came to a close. A 9-yard rushing touchdown from Belhaven in the final minute brought the score to 28-17 with 45 seconds remaining, but Timothy McReynolds managed to take the ensuing kickoff 86 yard down field to put the Hawks' offense inside Belhaven's 10. Taking advantage of McReynold's return, Dorian Smith found RJ White for their second touchdown connection of the half to give Huntingdon a 35-17 advantage entering the second half.

With Huntingdon receiving the second half kickoff, the Hawks' offense couldn't find any rhythm, going three and out. A fumbled snap on the punt allowed for Belhaven to recover the ball and score, cutting the deficit to 35-24 before their offense touched the field.  In spite of the turnover, Huntingdon's offense remained unfazed, putting together a 9 play drive, including a 41 yard rush from James Cheatham and a 20 yard reception from Brody Covington, which ended with a 22 yard field goal from Will Edwards, giving the Hawks a 38-24 advantage with 9 minutes remaining in the third quarter. With the Hawks' defense forcing another punt on the following drive, the Hawks regained possession with five minutes to go in the quarter. A 28 yard reception from Terrell Copeland set up Troy Garner for his second rushing touchdown of the day with 1:51 to go until the fourth quarter, extending Huntingdon's lead to 45-24.

Bringing an end to the third period, Huntingdon's defense forced another punt, with Joe Brunson bringing down the Blazer's quarterback for the second time on the afternoon to flip possession back to the Hawks as the fourth quarter began. After two possessions that saw punts from each team, Belhaven had the ball with 5:52 remaining as they looked to draw closer. After a 12 yard completion, cornerback Jacoby Young picked off the Blazer's quarterback for the secon time in the game, effectively ending their comeback hopes. The Blazers would go on to score with 2 minutes remaining, but it would be too late, as the Hawks were able to run out the clock and walk away with a 45-31 victory over the defending conference champions.

Hawk Top Performers

• #19 Dorian Smith- 13-19 passing for 226 yards and three touchdowns
• #0 Troy Garner- 18 carries for 52 yards and two rushing touchdowns
• #42 Brody Covington- 5 receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown
• #9 RJ White- 2 receptions for 63 yards and two touchdowns
• #1 Timothy McReynolds- 3 kickoff returns for 211 yards and a touchdown
• #6 Joe Brunson- 9 tackles, 1.5 sacks
• #18 Cj Figgers- 7 tackles, 1 interception

The Hawks look to carry their momentum into an October 12th matchup with Methodist. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 PM CT.