By Chris Yow
Editor
PELHAM — Hewitt-Trussville couldn’t have asked for a better performance from its offense Friday night, as the Huskies avenged last season’s sour loss to Oak Mountain with a 38-31 win on the road. The win keeps the Huskies in a tie for second place in the region with an unlikely companion in Hoover, who fell to Spain Park on Thursday night.
Oak Mountain (2-4, 1-3 Class 7A, Region 3) used a dynamic performance from quarterback Warren Shader to battle from behind most of the night, and take a late 31-30 lead over Hewitt-Trussville (4-2, 3-1 Class 7A, Region 3) in the fourth quarter. Husky running back Jarrion Street and quarterback Zac Thomas, however, were not going to let the Eagles snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
The Husky offense marched down the field, going 67 yards in just 10 plays to take the final lead of the night on a Street 2-yard touchdown run with just 4:06 to play in the game. The drive nearly stalled twice, but Thomas converted a 3rd-and-short, and Grayson Cash reeled off a 36-yard run to set up the score on the drive.
Street, who ran for 124 yards in the first half alone, had a fantastic night on the ground as he finished with 163 yards and three scores. One of his biggest plays of the night, however, came when head coach Josh Floyd opted to put him on defense after the Huskies had given up a pair of long touchdown passes. On 3rd-and-long, Shader tested Street with a fly route, but the Ole Miss commit batted it down. Shader then converted the Eagles’ fifth fourth down conversion of the night on the next play, but Street proved his worth in the defensive backfield on the play.
Floyd was unhappy the Huskies allowed five fourth down conversions in the game, but was overall proud of his team for getting the win.
In the first quarter, the Huskies got off to a quick start after receiving the opening kick, and promptly scored less than two minutes into the game. Street scampered 38 yards for the touchdown run to open things up.
“We always want to start fast,” Floyd said. “We took the ball first and scored.”
Oak Mountain answered with a field goal.
Hewitt-Trussville then added a pair of field goals from Parker Colburn — that book-ended a Simon Miskelley interception — to extend their lead to 13-3.
“Obviously we would’ve like to have gotten touchdowns there, but Parker played great,” Floyd said of his kicker.
Colburn, who did not start the season as the team’s primary place kicker, was 3-for-3 in the game, essentially giving his team more than enough for the margin of victory.
“I have a great coach who helps me,” Colburn said. “I just go out and work hard every day.”
Shader cut the lead to 13-10 when he rattled off a 36-yard scamper busting through Husky defenders on the ensuing drive, but the Huskies answered right back.
Thomas asnswered when he found Noah Igbinoghene on a 42-yard streak where the receiver went up-and-over his defender to make the grab. The junior receiver is beginning to make a habit of doing that to defensive backs.
Hewitt had a couple big sacks in the game from senior linebacker Jalen Williams, who tallied a pair on the night.
The Huskies now look forward to Thompson next week, and Floyd isn’t looking past the Warriors.
“In this region you have to take one game at a time,” he said.