SCOTT CENTRAL 37, LAKE 13
In the movie Groundhog Day, star Bill Murray suffers through the same day again and again.
Lake football coach Tate Hanna can certainly relate to Murray these days.
The Hornets struggled on offense as rival Scott Central built an early lead and cruised to a 37-13 win.
The Hornets falls to 3-7 on the season and will be a No. 3 seed in Class 2A playoffs this week and will travel to Mize on Friday night.
Hanna said it was another frustrating night for his team.
“We are just so thin on the back half and gave up a couple of big plays,” Hanna said. “That has been our MO the last couple of weeks. Any time your defense is out there twice as long as your offense, it’s not a good night. And we are just limited at quarterback and needed to run the football better. Our kids have worked hard and they are as disappointed as the coaches. We have to continue to fight and get better. All we can control our effort and attitude and work hard every day.”
The game was delayed starting due to inclement weather. But that rain didn’t slow down the Rebels down. The Rebels scored on their first possession on a 20-yard touchdown pass. The PAT was good and the Rebels led 7-0.
Lake was forced to punt on the ensuing possession but a bad snap gave Scott Central a safety and a 9-0 lead.
Scott Central got the ball right back and went 58 yards in eight plays and scored on a 17-yard run. The PAT failed and Scott Central led 15-0.
The Hornets then turned the ball over near midfield and the Rebels answered with a seven-play, 48-yard drive drive, scoring on a 34-yard run. The try for two was good and Scott Central led 23-0 at the half.
The two teams swapped possessions to start the second half and Scott Central extended its lead with a 47-yard touchdown pass. The PAT was good and Scott Central led 30-0 with 7:50 left in the third.
Lake finally got on the scoreboard on its second possession of the second half when Jhaqwon Slack hit Ny’Zavion McClendon on a short pass that he turned into an 82-yard touchdown. O.D. Hunt hit the PAT and Scott Central led 30-7.
Lake then recovered a fumble on the next possession and went 60 yards in five plays. Jamarrian Blaylcok then scored on an 8-yard run. The try for two failed and Scott Central led 29-13.
Scott Central answered with a long drive, going 87 yards in 12 plays and scored on a 37-yard pass. The PAT was good and Scott Central led 37-13 for the final margin.
On offense, Blaylock had 69 yards on 23 carries with one TD. Slack was 4-for-11 passing for 96 yards with one TD. McClendon had two catches for 82 yards with one TD while Andrew Posey had two catches for 14 yards.
On defense, McClendon continued his strong play and led the Hornets with 10 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss. Keshun Anderson had seven tackles, forced a fumble and had a fumble recovery while Blaylock had 5.5 tackles and forced a fumble. Jamarii Spivey and Posey each had three tackles while Slack also had an interception and a fumble recovery.
