BY MATT VINES, Journal Sports
Huntington may have “out-Byrded” C.E. Byrd with long methodical drives Friday, but the Yellow Jackets had enough pep in their step with quick-strike scores to knock the Raiders from the ranks of the District 1-5A unbeaten.
All three of Byrd’s touchdown drives were under three minutes, including the go-ahead score in the waning seconds to finish off Huntington, 24-20. The Raiders had taken the lead with just 3:11 left to play.
In response, the Yellow Jackets (5-1, 3-1) started at their own 37 and were knocking on the door with 35 seconds left, but a holding penalty wiped out a Quinton Hilliard touchdown run.
That put the run-heavy Byrd offense in a third down at the 12, but quarterback Harrison Ayres connected with Alex Schoonover to give Byrd the lead for good. Schoonover hauled the pass in over two Huntington defenders in the Independence Stadium end zone.
“I’m glad we came out with a win because Huntington is a really physical team that’s doing a great job this season,” said Byrd coach Stacy Ballew. “Our kids played their tails off.
“That last drive, I’m thinking we’re going to have to settle for a tying field goal. But it was a great play by Harrison and Alex to put us ahead.”
Twenty-eight seconds was almost enough for Huntington as receiver Jamarion Washington made a one-handed catch to put the Raiders (4-2, 4-1) in Hail Mary position from the Byrd 43-yard line with one second left.
But the Byrd defense denied Huntington as quarterback Lorenzo White’s pass didn’t find its mark as time expired.
Both offenses were without key players as usual Huntington quarterback Landon Gibbs and Byrd running back Christian Maxie didn’t play.
“I’m really proud of our kids tonight, but Byrd just made one or two more plays than us and executed at a higher level,” said Huntington coach Stephen Dennis. “We have to get our guys to understand that just like when we have a ‘1-0 mentality’ that we have to flush it and move on, it’s the same mentality when you don’t go 1-0.
“(White) did a good job tonight under center as we have two quarterbacks that have played a lot of football for us. Landon was available just in an emergency situation tonight, but we do expect him to be back next week.”
That put Byrd fullback Desmond Simmons in the spotlight as he put the Yellow Jackets on the board first with a 77-yard run in the early second quarter. Simmons, who did sustain an injury in the fourth quarter, finished with 164 yards.
Huntington responded with an 80-yard drive that consumed nearly five minutes, highlighted by a Jamarion Washington touchdown run. Byrd’s James Logan blocked the extra point to keep a 7-6 lead.
Byrd executed a drive with less than 30 seconds to put Asher Murray in position to make a 29-yard field goal for a 10-6 lead at the half.
The Raiders embarked on another 80-yard drive to start the third quarter as Nyles Hullaby finished it with a 4-yard touchdown run. A failed two-point conversion kept Byrd ahead 12-10.
Hullaby was the leading rusher for a Huntington offense that was held to 135 rushing yards but was able to string drives together.
White passed for 188 yards with Tyler Welch as his favorite target, who topped 100 yards on the night.
Huntington had a chance to tack on another score when Braydon Cummings recovered a squib kick, but the Byrd defense stood tall and forced a punt.
The Raiders had two drives inside the Byrd 30-yard line that didn’t result in points.
Byrd took the lead with its second one-play scoring drive of the night, a 75-yard Quinton Hilliard touchdown scamper to lead 17-12 midway through the third quarter.
Hilliard rushed for 103 yards and 66 receiving yards as a big-time playmaker Friday.
Huntington chewed up another five minutes of clock on its final scoring drive, which encompassed 61 yards ending in a Hullaby two-yard touchdown run. Washington added the two-point conversion to give the Raiders a 20-17 edge with 3:11 remaining.
But Byrd channeled West Coast vibes as the Yellow Jackets moved quickly on a 63-yard scoring drive, doing it without Simmons.
Ayres’ 12-yard connection to Schooner was the last of a trio of clutch connections as the Byrd signal caller completed three passes for 78 yards.
The loss snapped a four-game Huntington winning streak and leaves just Airline undefeated in District 1-5A after the Vikings handled Parkway.
Contact Matt at sports@journalservicesllc.com
BYRD 24, HUNTINGTON 20
Byrd 0 10 7 7 – 24
Huntington 0 6 6 8 – 20
B – Desmond Simmons 77 run (Asher Murray kick), 5:10 2nd, Byrd 7-0
H – Jamarion Washington 4 run (kick blocked), 0:20 2nd, Byrd 7-6
B – Murray 29 field goal, 0:04 2nd, Byrd 10-6
H – Nyles Hullaby 4 run (run failed), 6:56 3rd, Huntington 12-10
B- Quinton Hillard 75 run (Murray kick), 4:55 3rd, Byrd 17-12
H – Hullaby 2 run (Washington run), 3:11 4th, Huntington 20-17
B – Alex Schnoonover 12 pass from Harrison Ayres (Murray kick), 0:28 4th, Byrd 24-20
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Byrd, Simmons 19-164, 1 TD; Hilliard 4-103, 1 TD; Gevin Phill 5-35, Collin Deere 3-18; Huntington, Hullaby 19-111, 2 TDs; Kamron Davis 10-17, D. Truvillio 3-13, Washington 3-4, 1 TD.
PASSING – Byrd, Ayres 3-4, 88, 1 TD; Huntington, Lorenzo White 15-24, 188.
RECEIVING – Byrd, Hilliard, 2-66, Schoonover 1-12, 1 TD; Huntington, Washington 7-102, Tyler Welc 7-86, Adrian Johnson 1-0.