By MATT VINES, Journal Sports
Huntington coach Stephen Dennis didn’t want to sound cliché, but one of the team’s oft-spoken mantras paid dividends at Evangel Friday night.
“We always talk about not focusing on the plays we didn’t make, and focusing on the next play,” Dennis said. “If you do that enough, and string enough plays together, you can win games.”
Huntington overcame four turnovers, including two in the red zone, to remain unbeaten in a difficult District 1-5A as the Raiders (4-1, 4-0) rallied past Evangel for a 28-27 win.
Jamarion Washington sprinted 80 yards on a touchdown run to bring the Raiders (4-1, 4-0 District 1-5A) within one point midway through the fourth quarter, and then he put them up for good with the two-point conversion.
It capped the scoring in a seesaw battled that saw ties at 7-7, 14-14, and 20-20.
“All of these district wins have been special because it’s such a tough district,” said Dennis, whose squad has topped Captain Shreve, Benton, and Haughton. “Evangel is a really good team that plays their tails off, and they are going to figure it out in these close games.”
Evangel quarterback Pop Houston struck first with a 24-yard touchdown to Bradon Stephens before Huntington’s Nyles Hullaby responded with a 5-yard TD run late in the first quarter.
Houston connected with Johnny Casey on a 3-yard touchdown pass but Huntington quarterback Landon Gibbs answered with a 43-yard strike to Washington to tie it 14-14.
Gibbs found Tyler Welch, who had intercepted Houston halting an Eagles threat, to put Huntington up 20-14 before Evangel fumbled the kickoff.
The Evangel defense erased the harm with one of the four turnovers it forced. In the second half, Evangel eventually tied the game 20-20 on a 19-yard Houston hookup with Johnny Casey Jr. after intercepting Huntington to ignite the scoring drive and then led 27-20 when Dae Dae Drake powered seven yards with 7:53 to go. On the next play from scrimmage, Washington’s long TD run and two-point conversion provided the winning margin.
“We had a few miscues in the kicking game tonight with a bad snap on an extra point and that turnover,” said Evangel coach Denny Duron. “But the decision I regret is going for it in the red zone in the first half when we had a field goal opportunity, and we didn’t get it. That’s a mistake on me.
“We needed to make a few more plays tonight. It’s a really tough district that tests you every week, and we just have to stay positive.”
Evangel is a surprising 1-4 overall, 1-3 in district play with its only win coming against Natchitoches Central.
But the Eagles’ losses include No. 5-ranked Neville, Byrd, Airline, and Huntington – a “juggernaut of a schedule” as Duron commented.
Contact Matt at sports@journalservicesllc.com