By Pat Cole pcole@mckenziebanner.com

Quarterback Cody Crocker handed the ball to Boo Weathers who moved behind the blocking skills of Desmond Townes (#40) and Marcus Beal (#53) for huge Mustang yardage.

Huntingdon’s Mustangs accomplished one big feat Friday night in their 26-6 victory over Camden and now face one of the two teams they fell to in semi-final action this Friday night. After defeating Camden 35-21 in week six, the Stangs traveled to Milan in week seven and lost to the Bulldogs 37-28. This Friday night, they will travel to Milan one more time and try to repeat their semi-final victory that occurred one year ago at Paul Ward Stadium.

This past Friday night, the Stangs once again had to play on a wet, soggy field and while it misted throughout the first half, they did not have to worry about rainfall during the contest. Still, with both teams having strong running offenses, the poor field conditions were a hindrance. However, a strong offensive line allowed Stangs Phillip “Boo” Weathers to finish the night with 220 yards and Chris Donald to run for 171 yards. Fullback Desmond Townes also carried the ball several times for positive yardage. Camden’s success was mainly in the air as quarterback Brian Markham had 197 yards on 15 completions. Huntingdon intercepted Markham twice to end significant drives and running back Josh Boyd scored the only Lion touchdown.

The game began with the Lions on offense. Boyd took the kickoff and returned the ball to the Camden 27 with Brent Taylor on the tackle. The first possession was a disaster for the Lions as the Stangs strong defensive line two losses, including one big sack of Markham by Marcus Beal. Boyd picked up two yards before he was brought down by Jerry McClerkin, Weathers and Brandon Snyder. A motion penalty placed the ball back five yards and a toss to Byron Boyd led to a loss of three more as Townes, Kegan Ball, Donald and Cale Belew moved into the backfield. Facing third and 16, Markham moved back to pass and lost nine more yards as Beal came through the line and nailed him. The punt rolled to the Huntingdon 22.

Huntingdon also had a poor effort on their first possession. Weathers gained four, but Scott Hampton was caught for a loss of three and a pass was tipped by Belew and was incomplete. A penalty on the play was declined by the Lions and the Stangs Drew Kelley punted to the Camden 15.

The poor field position did not help the Lions, but they managed to gain nine yards on the possession. B. Boyd was held to a loss of one by Beal. J. Boyd picked up eight before he was stopped by Snyder and Hunter Hastings. J. Boyd was then stopped short of the first down by Donald and the Lions punted the ball to the Huntingdon 30.

With 5:25 remaining in the first quarter, Donald picked up one yard. Weathers then ran right behind some superb offensive blocking and gained the Lions 10 yard line before he was run out of bounds. With the ball at the 10, Weathers again got the blocking he needed and managed to run untouched into the end zone at the 4:27 mark. Hampton’s PAT was on the mark and the Stangs held a 7-0 advantage.

The Lions next possession was somewhat better. J. Boyd received the kick and returned the ball to the Camden 24 before he was stopped by J.P. Powell and Jason Norman. Josh Guajardo moved for a gain of seven before he was stopped by Belew. B. Boyd then moved for a first down at the 34 before he was brought down by Cody Baker. B. Boyd ran for nine before Baker and Hastings made the tackle. A toss to J. Boyd moved the ball down to the Huntingdon 44 before Baker secured the tackle. On first down however, Snyder came through the line and sacked Markham for a loss of seven. Bryce Wilbanks moved up the middle for one before Snyder again made the tackle. Facing third and 16, Markham reached back and passed the ball deep with Snyder intercepting for the Stangs at the five yard line.

With just over 20 seconds remaining, Townes got the nod and a first down at the 18. Hurrying to get the play off, the Stangs were cited for motion as the first quarter concluded. Donald moved left for a gain of two. Crocker moved back to pass, the ball slipped from his grasp and as he recovered he was hit by Guajardo for a loss of 12. Townes moved the ball eight yards, but facing fourth and 17, Kelley came in to punt to J. Boyd. Baker made the stop at the Mustang 43.

J. Boyd gained three and six yards with Aaron Williams on the first stop and Donald on the second. Although the Lions picked up a first down on the next play, the Stangs held for a loss of five on the next series and the Lions punted the ball into the end zone. Huntingdon took over at its own 20.

Donald moved the ball to the 35 for a first down. Weathers gained three on two runs and Donald received a pass for a first down at the Camden 37. Weathers moved left for another first down at the 24 and Donald had a first down at the 10. On first down, Donald was held to no gain, but on second down, he ran into the end zone for the touchdown at the 1:31 mark of the second period. The PAT by Hampton was good and Huntingdon held a 14-0 advantage.

Garrett Golden received the kick and fell on his knee. Markham took advantage of short passes, managed the clock well and moved the ball down to the Huntingdon 37 with over 50 seconds remaining. However, after a sack by Beal and two incomplete passes, the Lions had to go for one more in the air, only to be intercepted by Weathers and he was stopped at the Lions 46 with 27.4 seconds remaining in the half.

Weathers moved up the middle for six and up the middle again for three. An incomplete pass led to quarterback Cody Crocker holding and getting a first down at the Camden 44. The Stangs took a timeout with only microseconds remaining and then gave the ball to Donald who reached the 16 before he was brought down to end the half.

During intermission, the Camden Marching Lions presented the music from their competitive show for the home crowd, but did not march. The Marching Mustangs did not dress out, but kept the fans full of enthusiasm throughout the game.

Huntingdon received the opening kick of the second half and made good use of the opportunity. Weathers received the kick, moved left and was stopped at the 24. Donald moved right for a first down, but a block in the back penalty move the ball back 10 yards. Donald was held for no gain on two attempts, but Weathers got the nod on third down and took off to the left, ran back toward the middle of the field and was tackled at the Huntingdon 45 for the first down. Townes was held for no gain, but on second down, Donald found running room up the middle and rushed 55 yards for the touchdown The PAT did not get off the ground as Huntingdon took a 20-0 lead.

Camden took over at its own 20 after the ball reached the end zone. J. Boyd ran for two as Snyder and Drew Smith made the tackle. J. Boyd was stopped by Weathers for a loss of two and on third down, Beal and Snyder combined to sack Markham for a loss of five. With 6:44 remaining in the third period, Hampton received the punt and with Weathers providing a block, reached the Lions 48.

The possession was short-lived as Donald picked up two and one and a holding penalty moved the ball back to a third and 17. Hampton moved right, but gained only six and Kelley came in to punt the ball to end zone. Camden took over with 3:11 remaining in the third period.

A pass to B. Boyd gained a first down and a pass to Zack Brazzell gained another at the Huntingdon 35. Guajardo moved for a first down at the 23. After throwing incomplete, Markham connected with Guajardo for seven before McClerkin and Baker made the tackle. Markham held and moved the ball to the 11 before Hastings made the tackle. A pass to B. Boyd was good for seven and on second and three, J. Boyd ran the ball into the end zone for the touchdown with 46.8 remaining in the third period. The kick by Clay Carruth was wide left and Huntingdon now led 20-6.

Hampton received the kick and returned the ball to the Camden 40. Weathers moved for three as the third period ended. Donald moved right to the 18. Weathers moved right, but was held short of a gain. Crocker was held for a loss of one. A motion penalty moved the ball back and then Donald moved for two yards. With the ball near the end zone, Weathers ran to the 11, short of a first down and the Lions took over.

Once again the Lions took to the air, completing a pass for a gain of nine and Markham gained the first down before he was stopped by Snyder. With the ball at the Mustang 48, an incomplete pass was followed by a completed one to Matthew Chandler for a first down at the Huntingdon 25 before Hampton made the tackle. A completed pass was good for nine and Markham gained the first down at the 13. Markham was held to only two by Snyder. A motion penalty was assessed the Lions and a pass was tipped by Hampton. Facing fourth and 12, Markham was chased by Donald and threw the ball out of bounds. Huntingdon took over at its own 15.

Weathers moved for a gain of nine and Crocker gained first down at the 26. Weathers then found blocking and running room and moved the ball to the end zone at the 5:15 mark. The two-point conversion attempt failed, but Huntingdon now led 26-6.

Boyd received the kick and was stopped by Kegan Ball at the 30. A pass to B. Boyd was good for a first down before Weathers made the tackle. McClerkin hit Brazzell at the Huntingdon 31 to stop the run and the Lions were then held by the Stangs defensive unit. The first pass was incomplete and then Markham was rushed by Beal to throw incomplete again. The last two passes were also incomplete and Huntingdon took over at its own 31.

Donald moved for two and Townes was held for no gain. Weathers moved right for three and the punt was out at the 35.

J. Boyd held for a first down on two runs, but after gaining nine more, the Huntingdon defense held and took over on downs with 21.7 seconds remaining. Crocker took a knee to end the game with a Mustang victory.

Following the game, Coach Mike Mansfield congratulated his team on their performance and reminded them they were on track to return to Murfreesboro. He also noted that Camden was a good team and Milan was another good team they would face Friday night on the road. The one good thing about going on the road is that Milan’s field has not been used for the last two weeks, hopefully providing running backs with better field conditions.

Mansfield said, “Boys we’re down to the final four and you know what that means (referring to a rematch in the semifinal round against Milan). He told them they would have to play their best game next week, but for this week, the coaches were proud of their performance.

Last year, the Stangs defeated Milan at Paul Ward Stadium. This week will find a more difficult test of their abilities. Despite a two touchdown lead in week seven, the Stangs ultimately lost to the Bulldogs 37-28. This week’s match-up will need another strong performance by both the offensive and defensive lines to return to the Blue Cross Bowl the following Friday.

By Pat Cole pcole@mckenziebanner.com

Rebel Marquice Tharpe moved inside for this basket as Kerry Hunt defended for Central.

The annual Huntingdon basketball jamboree was held last Saturday with Huntingdon, McKenzie, West Carroll and Hollow Rock-Bruceton from Carroll County and Trinity Christian and Camden joining in to start their respective seasons. The two quarter games were very competitive and indicated the season to come will be interesting in Carroll County where all but McKenzie compete for district honors in Class A. McKenzie remains in Class AA for this season with Camden in the same district as the Rebels.

Lady Rebels 38-Lady Tigers 27

The competition began with McKenzie and Hollow Rock-Bruceton. In the girls contest, the score remained close for most of the two quarters. The Lady Tigers definitely showed improvement from last year and will definitely provide fans with more thrills this year. The Lady Rebels got off to a slow start, but after holding a 22-20 advantage mid-way through the final period, they went on a 5-0 run and controlled the game at that point.

Anna Trull and Renee Crawley led the Lady Rebels, scoring 18 and 10 points respectively. Brooke Cole scored six and Courtney Wiggins and Laken Comer added two each. The Lady Rebels got 16 of their points at the charity stripe, missing only four shots and Trull connected on two shots from three-point range. Ernicka Willis led the Lady Tigers with 11, followed by Kayla Norval with six Heaven Wilks with four and Nikita Washum, Jessica Willis and Tabia Tharpe with two each. The Lady Tigers were seven of 17 at the charity stripe and had no three-pointers. McKenzie won the contest 38-27.

Tigers 21-Rebels 19

The boys contest was even more competitive with the Tigers leading throughout the first quarter and trailing only once in the second half. Fewer fouls were called in the second game with McKenzie finishing 0-2 and the Tigers finishing one of seven. After leading 15-12 after one, the Tigers won the contest 21-19. Three pointers were a staple in this contest with Hunter Downing hitting two and Brice Priestley one for the Rebels and Tanner Stepp hitting three and Josh Williams one for the Tigers. Downing led the Rebels with six, followed by Priestley with five and Clint Anderson, Jordan Trull, Marquice Tharpe and Julian Tucker with two each. Stepp led the Tigers with nine, followed by Orey Willis with four, Kerry Hunt and Williams with three each and Nick Bryant with two.

Lady Lions 38-Lady War Eagles 37

After leading throughout most the third contest of the night, the Lady War Eagles found themselves with a loss by one point. Both teams missed foul shots. For the Lady War Eagles, 11 of 18 was one or two too few. For the Lady Lions, eight of 18 was just enough for a victory. Despite the loss of Bethel signee Jessica Murphy, the Lady War Eagles show a balanced team effort defensively. Their leading scorers were April Gilliam (who fouled out at the 33.8 mark of the second period) and Rachel Arnold with 15 and 14 points respectively. Emily Hall and Brittany Luther added four each in the 38-37 loss. After falling behind 17-15 at the end of the first quarter, the Lady War Eagles managed to lead by as much as five in the second before TCA managed to score the final five points to gain the victory.

War Eagles 37-Lions 23

The War Eagles are loaded this year and should do well in district competition. With Xavier Webb having already signed to play collegiate basketball with Ole Miss, the War Eagles should have a relatively calm season. Webb played only in the first period, as the War Eagles held a 21-5 lead by the end of the first. Coach John Stigall allowed all players to see action and the Lions inched their way up the scoring ladder in the second, ultimately falling 37-23. Lorenzo Stewart led the War Eagles, hitting a three-pointer and scoring seven total points. Jonason Hawkins also scored seven, hitting three of five at the line. Webb followed with six, Dustin Skinner had four, Brandon Luther hit a three-pointer and Brandon Carter scored three. Neco Kirby and Alex Johnson added two each.

Fillies 29-Lady Lions 16

Despite the loss of key players to graduation (the entire starting five), the Fillies seemed poised to vie for the district title in 2005. They may be a bit slower this season, but are definitely as feisty and ready to challenge for every loose ball. They also split the scoring honors among six of their players to win by a comfortable margin over the Lady Lions from Camden. The first quarter, the Fillies took an 11-8 advantage before winning 29-16. Jessica Hilliard led all scorers with 10 points, followed by Jessica Carlton with six, Payten Butler with five, Casey Henson with four, Brittany Smith with three and Ashlee Porter with one.

Mustangs 28-Lions 19

For the second night in a row, the Mustangs faced Camden’s Lions and came away with a victory. The Lions were short in number with their football team having completed their season the previous night and not yet out for basketball. For the Mustangs, who remain in competition in football, there were only eight players on the court. Still the game was extremely competitive as Huntingdon took a 20-7 lead after one and ultimately won 28-19. Blake Hampton hit a three-pointer and led all scorers with 13 total points, followed by Garrett Meggs with six, Justin Johns with four, Will Atkins with three and Roy Carter with two. Huntingdon’s season will most likely be delayed until they complete their football season.

McKenzie opened their 2004-05 season Tuesday against Clarksburg at home and will play at West Carroll on December 2. West Carroll played Dresden on Monday and Greenfield on Tuesday at home. Hollow Rock-Bruceton opened their season at home against McEwen on Tuesday and will host Big Sandy on November 30. Huntingdon’s Fillies were scheduled to participate in the Dresden Classic on November 26-27 and to open their season on December 2 against Dresden.

By Deborah Turner

Bethel Wildcat football players, faculty and members of the community react with glee to the announcement of Bethel's participation in the inaugural Polk County Thanksgiving Classic bowl game.

Even confusion with the speaker phone set-up didn't spoil the surprise for Bethel Wildcat football team members, who on Tuesday, November 16, found the Student Center's Oasis Room invaded by perhaps a dozen faculty and community members plus media representatives.

But when a connection was finally made with Mid-South Conference Commissioner Mike Pollio, there was no confusion in his message: the Wildcats will face the Webber International College Warriors Saturday, November 27, in the inaugural Polk County Thanksgiving Classic in Winter Haven, Florida. The game takes place at 4:00 p.m. CST/5:00 EST at Denison Field.

Smiles, laughter and clapping and the encouragement of team member Blaine Hayes of Merritt Island, Florida followed the announcement. Hayes announced he had last year attended Webber International and that, upon informing coach Rod Schaffer he was transferring to Bethel, the man had replied, "Bethel College ain't nothing, they ain't never been nothing, and they ain't going to be nothing."

"So let's show them," Hayes challenged the team.

Pollio said Bethel was chosen because of their resolve in turning their game around mid-season.

"We wanted a team that was fresh and at the top of their game and that certainly is Bethel," he said. "It's so difficult to turn the game around in mid-season and is one of the toughest things a team can do. It says a lot of the coach and players that they were able to turn it around."

For the first five weeks of the season Bethel was at the bottom of Mid-South rankings. They began to inch up the scale the sixth week and finished with five wins and five losses, their best ever finish in the conference. Webber, an NAIA Independent team, also finished the season with a 5-5 record in their second year of football.

Bethel's five wins ties the most for any season since the program was reinstated in 1993. Three players were named Mid-South Conference "Players of the Week": Shannaan Dawda (special teams), Darren Adderly (defense), and Adrian Smith (offense). Three players made the 2004 All-Conference team: Demareo O'Neal (first team offense), Darren Adderly (second team defense), and Wes Kincheloe (honorable mention offense). Two players were named "Academic All-Conference": Blaine Hayes and Jeffery Mobley.

Proceeds from the Classic will aid hurricane relief efforts in Polk County, which was hit by three hurricanes this year.

Bethel President Bob Prosser said that, in more than three years, the loneliest decision he had made was to try and become a member of the Mid-South Conference. When the going got rough, he said, his dream remained "for us to do our best, compete and win."

"I want to thank you for making this the best decision I have ever made," he continued, "On behalf of the administration and the community, you have made us so very proud and that's important."

Prosser expressed pride in the players' conduct off the field as well as in the way they handled themselves during the first part of the season "when it wasn't working out."

"We were still so proud to be associated with you guys who make up the football team," he said.

Citing the team's contribution in building a tradition of excellence in football that complements the school's academic tradition, Prosser said it was because of their personal and team growth that they were able to turn the season around, thus effecting the invitation to compete in the Thanksgiving Classic.

The team recently claimed the "Cannonball Classic" trophy, a celebration of their first win against Lambuth College. The traveling trophy was initiated in 2002 during Coach Dino Kaklis' first year as an assistant coach with the team. Kaklis is now head coach of the winning team.

2004 Sports Archives:

01-07-04 01-14-04 01-21-04 01-28-04 02-04-04 02-11-04 02-18-04 02-25-04 03-03-04 03-10-04 03-17-04

03-24-04 03-31-04 04-07-04 04-14-04 04-21-04 04-28-04 05-05-04 05-12-04 05-19-04 05-26-04 06-02-04

06-09-04 06-16-04 06-23-04 06-30-04 07-07-04 07-14-04 07-21-04 07-28-04 08-04-04 08-11-04 08-18-04

08-25-04 09-01-04 09-08-04 09-15-04 09-22-04 09-29-04 10-06-04 10-13-04 10-20-04 10-27-04 11-03-04

11-10-04 11-17-04 11-24-04 12-01-04 12-08-04 12-15-04 12-22-04 12-29-04

2003 Sports Archives:

01-01-03 01-08-03 01-15-03 01-22-03 01-29-03 02-05-03 02-12-03 02-19-03 02-26-03 03-05-03 03-12-03

03-19-03 03-26-03 04-02-03 04-09-03 04-16-03 04-23-03 04-30-03 05-07-03 05-14-03 05-21-03 05-28-03

06-04-03 06-11-03 06-18-03 06-25-03 07-02-03 07-09-03 07-16-03 07-23-03 07-30-03 08-06-03 08-13-03

08-20-03 08-27-03 09-03-03 09-10-03 09-17-03 09-24-03 10-01-03 10-08-03 10-15-03 10-22-03 10-29-03

11-05-03 11-12-03 11-19-03 11-26-03 12-03-03 12-10-03 12-17-03 12-24-03 12-31-03

2002 Sports Archives:

01-02-02 01-09-02 01-16-02 01-23-02 01-30-02 02-06-02 02-13-02 02-20-02 02-27-02 03-06-02 03-13-02

03-20-02 03-27-02 04-03-02 04-10-02 04-17-02 04-24-02 05-01-02 05-08-02 05-15-02 05-22-02 05-29-02

06-05-02 06-12-02 06-19-02 06-26-02 07-03-02 07-10-02 07-17-02 07-24-02 07-31-02 08-07-02 08-14-02

08-21-02 08-28-02 09-04-02 09-11-02 09-18-02 09-25-02 10-02-02 10-09-02 10-16-02 10-23-02 10-30-02

11-06-02 11-13-02 11-20-02 11-27-02 12-04-02 12-11-02 12-18-02 12-25-02

2001 Sports Archives:

06-06-01 06-13-01 06-20-01 06-27-01 07-04-01 07-11-01

07-18-01 07-25-01 08-01-01 08-08-01 08-15-01 08-22-01

08-29-01 09-05-01 09-12-01 09-19-01 09-26-01 10-03-01

10-10-01 10-17-01 10-24-01 10-31-01 11-07-01 11-14-01

11-21-01 11-28-01 12-05-01 12-12-01 12-19-01 12-26-01