Hillcrest blasts Lamar

By By Marty Stamper/EMG sports assistant
November 8, 2003
If the Lamar School Raiders needed their weaknesses exposed prior to next week's Academy AAA Division 2 playoff game with Clarksdale Lee Academy, the Hillcrest Christian School Cougars were willing to oblige, taking a 30-14 win over the hosts Friday at Grey Cobb Field.
The loss snapped Lamar's seven-game win streak.
Lamar head coach Mac Barnes hopes his team responds to the Hillcrest loss the way it did to its only other setback this fall.
Hillcrest, 9-3, had 381 total yards to 206 for Lamar, 9-2. The Cougars were 10-of-23 passing for 256 yards.
Lamar took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in 13 plays for an early 7-0 lead when Drew Moffett scored on a 1-yard sneak with 6:44 left in the first quarter. Tommy Edgerton added the extra point.
Hillcrest responded with a 10-play, 63-yard scoring drive capped by a 1-yard run by William Girod with 2:04 to go in the first period. Brandon Alford's PAT tied the game at 7-7.
On the second play of the second quarter, the Cougars took the lead for good on a 6-yard run by Girod.
Hillcrest extended its lead to 20-7 with 7:06 left in the half on a 77-yard bomb from Loviett Dixon to Len Toplin.
The Raiders had first-and-10 at the Hillcrest 20 in the final minute of the first half, but three incompletions and a reception for minus four yards ended the threat.
Lamar closed to within 20-14 with 4:55 showing in the third period when Moffett connected with Justin Smith on a 6-yard toss. Edgerton added the PAT.
Hillcrest didn't back down. The Cougars used a double reverse pass from Logan Power to Toplin to pick up 44 yards on second-and-24 at the Lamar 49.
Four plays later, Girod booted a 23-yard field goal for a 23-14 Cougar lead with 30 seconds to go in the third period.
The Raiders let a golden opportunity slip away early in the fourth quarter after a partially blocked Hillcrest punt traveled only 12 yards to the Lamar 44.
Lamar had second-and-two at the Hillcrest 3-yard line after an 8-yard run by Lane Rush. Rush lost two yards on the next play and Moffett was sacked by Ryan Catlin for a 13-yard loss to force a field goal try. Edgerton's 35-yard effort stayed left of the upright with 8:36 to play.
Hillcrest got its final touchdown on a 7-yard run by Girod with 1:02 left after the Raiders came up inches short of a first down on fourth-and-10 at their 13.