Hunter lifts Philadelphia to win over Neshoba Central

By Staff
From Special Reports
Sept. 15, 2001
PHILADELPHIA Senior running back Kenshay Hunter scored on a five-yard run around left end with 27.8 seconds left to lift Philadelphia High School to an 18-14 win over cross-town rival Neshoba Central High School on Friday night.
The win pushed Philly to 2-1 on the season and gave the Tornadoes five straight wins over the Rockets. Philadelphia now leads the series 22-20.
Neshoba Central, now 1-2 on the year, had taken a 14-12 lead with 4:18 left in the third quarter when Andrew Robinson broke loose for a 28-yard touchdown run and Scott Shurden hit the point after.
After a Philadelphia possession, the Rockets put together a 16-play drive that ended with a missed 36-yard field goal.
The Tornadoes then took over on their own 20-yard line. After the first play lost 12 yards, Philly went 98 yards on nine plays. The big plays in the drive were a 21-yard run by Cedric Love, a 15-yard run by Tyler Threadgill and a 30-yard pass from Threadgill to Orie Hudson.
Two plays after the big third-down pass play, Hunter scored to put the winners ahead. The extra point was blocked, but the Tornadoes already had all of the points they needed.
Philadelphia held a 6-0 halftime lead thanks to a 32-yard scoring run by Love with 2:26 left in the first half. The kick was wide left.
Neshoba Central took its first lead of the game on its first possession of the second half. The Rockets marched 51 yards on six plays to score on a 12-yard run by Robinson. Shurden's kick made it 7-6 with 7:15 left in the third.
But it didn't take Philly long to respond.
Threadgill took the ensuing kickoff at his own 2-yard line and returned it 98 yards for a touchdown. The try for two failed, but the Tornadoes led 12-7 with 6:57 left in the third.
Then Neshoba came right back to score on the long run by Robinson.
Hunter led PHS with 77 rushing yards on 13 carries, while Threadgill had 61 yards on 11 carries.
Gavin Grady had 20 carries for 121 yards to lead NCHS, with Robinson picking up 94 yards on seven attempts.
Next up for Philadelphia is a Thursday night contest against Choctaw Central which is set for 7. Neshoba Central plays host to Newton County at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.