Fri Jul 30 2010
NEW CASTLE – Last year Western Hills’ football team scored twice in the final 3:50 to beat Henry County.
There were no such heroics for the Wolverines Friday as host Henry County made its third-quarter touchdown stand up for a 14-7 victory at Henry County High.
The Wildcats’ touchdown in the third quarter was set up by a Western Hills fumble deep in Wolverine territory.
“Turnovers definitely hurt us,” WHHS coach Don Miller said, “especially on our side of the field.”
The victory keeps Henry County undefeated in the district at 2-0 while Western Hills falls to 1-1 in the district and 5-3 overall.
Henry County scored on its first possession of the game with quarterback Luke Magness running 50 yards up the right side for the touchdown. Dylan Doll kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
The score stayed 7-0 for most of the first half, but the Wolverines tied the game with 3:08 left in the second quarter.
The drive, which took 4½ minutes off the clock, started at the WHHS 41-yard line.
The big plays of the drive were a 29-yard pass from Dylan Curry to Cody Hecker and a 20-yard run by Curry on fourth-and-six that moved the ball to the Henry County 5-yard line.
On first down from the 5, Curry faked a handoff to Justin Wright, who had carried the ball five times on the drive, and Curry ran in untouched from 5 yards out for the score.
Logan Curry kicked the extra point, and the game was tied 7-7 at halftime.
Western Hill stopped Henry County on a fourth-down play at the WHHS 27-yard line with 9:05 remaining in the third quarter, but the Wolverines gave the ball back on a fumble less than a minute later at its own 23.
The Wildcats took advantage of the mistake, going 23 yards in seven plays to score the game’s final touchdown.
Magness hit Erick Butler with a 10-yard pass in the end zone, and Doll kicked the extra point for a 14-7 lead with 5:10 left in the third quarter.
WHHS went three and out on its next two possessions, but early in the fourth quarter the Wolverines recovered a Henry County fumble at the HCHS 47-yard line.
On first down Curry hit Hecker with a 19-yard pass, putting the ball at the 28. After an incomplete pass Wright carried the ball twice, the second time for 13 yards and a first down at the 11.
Facing fourth down at the 3, WHHS was called for illegal procedure, pushing the ball back to the 8 and the Wolverines couldn’t convert on fourth down, turning the ball over to the Wildcats.
“We jumped offsides and that cost us,” Miller said. “That made it fourth down at the 8. They’re a good defensive team, a good offensive team.”
Henry County moved the ball from its own 8 to the WHHS 25-yard line in a drive that took over six minutes off the clock, but the Wildcats fumbled the ball away with 2:47 remaining.
WHHS started at its own 20-yard line and drove to the Henry County 33. During the drive Curry completed an 8-yard pass to Hecker, a 17-yard pass to Chris Pugh and a 12-yard pass to Logan Curry that put the ball at the 33.
A penalty moved the ball back to the 38. WHHS got those five yards back on a pass from Curry to Wright. On the next play Curry threw the ball to Hecker. There appeared to be contact on the play as two defenders converged on Hecker, but no penalty was called as the pass was incomplete.
The game ended with a pass in the end zone that was batted around before falling incomplete.
“I thought our defense played really well,” Miller said, “but we have to do a better job of executing and getting ready for North Oldham next week.”
Both teams close out regular-season district play this Friday. Henry County (6-2) plays at Spencer County while the Wolverines host North Oldham.
North Oldham is 1-1 in the district, and Spencer is 0-2.
The top two teams in the district host first-round playoff games.
“Henry County’s in the driver’s seat right now being 2-0,” Miller said. “We need to get to 2-1 and go from there.”
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