HARRISON - Vilonia finally caught a break.
Harrison tailback Michael Evert fumbled the ball late in the fourth quarter Friday night and Shane Steward grabbed it and returned it 19 yards to set up the game-winning touchdown as Vilonia pulled out a 32-29 victory at F.S. Garrison Stadium.
Vilonia quarterback Jared Willis hit Johnny Reed with a 20-yard touchdown pass with 1:38 left in the game as the Eagles opened 5A-West Conference play with a victory.
Vilonia (1-3, 1-0) has experienced its share of setbacks already this season. Injuries have plagued the Eagles, who started the season with 19 seniors but are down to three.Among the injured was running back Houston Cotton, who suffered a severe knee injury and underwent several surgeries in a Memphis hospital before returning home Thursday.
“We had three different kids having surgery this week,” Vilonia Coach Jim Stanley said. “You just don’t know what this win means to our team, to our community. I’m just so proud of these young men. You just don’t know how hard it has been. Last week we hardly even had practice because we were at the hospital in Memphis most of the time.”
Harrison (1-3, 0-1) had fought back from a 26-7 third-quarter deficit and took a 29-26 lead with 4:51 to play, and was looking to run out the clock when it got the ball back with 2:47 remaining, but Evert’s third fumble of the night opened the door for Vilonia.
Harrison scored first when quarterback Brock Humphrey threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Drew Matthews just 3:46 into the game. The Goblins stopped the Eagles on three plays on their next possession but quickly gave the ball back on Evert’s fumble midway through the first quarter.
The Eagles then drove 71 yards in 14 plays and scored their first touchdown on a 5-yard run by Chase Marshall.
Vilonia scored two more touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 19-7 lead into halftime, and it opened the second half with 70-yard scoring drive that was capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass from Willis to Marshall for a 26-7 lead.
The Goblins fought back as Humphrey connected with Silas Huskey for a 67-yard touchdown pass with 7:51 left in the third, and four minutes later Humphrey found Matthews with a 37-yard touchdown pass to cut the gap to 26-21.
Harrison drove 80 yards in nine plays to take the lead as Humphrey threw his fourth touchdown pass of the night, hitting Dillon Lineberger with a 30-yard toss with 4:51 left. Humphrey then threw to Huskey for the two-point conversion and the 29-26 lead.
Steward ran 16 times for 111 yards for Vilonia, and Willis completed 14 of 23 passes for 205 yards.
Humphrey completed 18 of 28 passes for 319 yards.
ALMA 47, CLARKSVILLE 0
ALMA - Malachi White ran for three touchdowns and Evan Burris passed for 193 yards and a score for Alma (2-2, 1-0 5A-West) in a victory over Clarksville (1-3, 0-1).
White ran 18 times for 65 yards, scoring on runs of 13, 1 and 3 yards.
Burris completed 12 of his 20 pass attempts for 193 yards. He passed for a 20-yard touchdown to Jake Folkerts.
Alex Beneux rushed for 94 yards on 9 carries.
Curtis Lloyd scored from the 1, and Tyler Newman added a 45-yard run for Alma’s other touchdowns.
Seth Linker kicked two field goals for Alma’s first points, from 25 and 35 yards and kicked three extra points. Alma also had a two-point conversion after White’s first touchdown.
GREENBRIER 42, HUNTSVILLE 7
HUNTSVILLE - Junior quarterback Will Drewry completed 21 of 26 passes for 331 yards and 4 touchdowns to lead the Panthers to a 5A-West victory.
Drewry’s favorite target was Dustin Tims, who caught 8 passes for 87 yards and 1 touchdown.
Carson Matthews had 5 catches for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns. Gerald Williamson added another 5 receptions for 108 yards and 1 touchdown as Greenbrier (2-2, 1-0) rolled out to a 42-0 halftime lead.
Huntsville (2-2, 0-1) scored its touchdown in the third quarter.
Sports, Pages 27 on 09/28/2013