CLASS 2A
HAZEN 20, MAGNET COVE 14
HAZEN -- Quarterback Blayne Toll picked up Hazen's passing game in the second half, connecting with wide receiver Rasheed Mills twice on the final drive and taking the Hornets (10-2) to a come-from-behind 20-14 victory over Magnet Cove (7-5) in a second-round Class 2A playoff game Friday at Hornet Field.
Mills caught a 39-yard pass from Toll on a second-and-one from the Hazen 41, putting the Hornets in business with a first down at the Magnet Cove 20.
A third-down pass from the 17 to Mills was good for 14 yards with 2:01 left in the game. After a two-yard gain from Ay'Jon Green on first down, Toll bulled through the middle for the touchdown with 1:15 remaining. A failed two-point conversion attempt left the Hornets with a six-point edge.
Magnet Cove was unable to pick up a first down, putting Hazen on the road for a quarterfinal game against Camden Harmony Grove, a 58-14 winner over East Poinsett County on Friday.
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Hazen Coach Joe Besacon said Camden Harmony Grove Is "Fast. They are really fast and really athletic. Their speed is unbelievable."
With that speed on the horizon, Besacon is hoping the Hornets don't start like they did Friday.
"We just weren't focused in the first half," he said. "All week we just weren't focused. We were just out of sync."
Magnet Cove, on the other hand, got off to a good start.
"We started out about as hot as you would like," first-year Coach Caleb Carmikle said. "We got a turnover [on a Hazen bad snap] and ran that down."
Magnet Cove's Ty Dawson picked up the loose ball and returned it to the Hazen 9. On third down from the 1, quarterback Grant Eskola pushed it over for the touchdown and the Panthers had a 7-0 lead with 3:04 left in the first quarter.
The Panthers turned the ball over on their next possession and Hazen was forced to punt.
Starting at their own 20 with 8:30 left in the first half, the Panthers ran the ball down the field and faced a third-and-seven at the Hazen 28. From there, Brennen Koller scored on an endaround, giving Magnet Cove a 14-0 lead with 1:41 remaining.
"Really, what started our downfall was the kickoff in the second half," Carmikle said. "We got pinned on the 1 and the fans just behind the end zone got rowdy and it rattled us. We just never got our composure."
A 47-yard punt put Hazen on its 47. A 14-yard pass to Mills on third down got a first down, then Toll scrambled for 15 yards on a third-and-14 for another first down at the Magnet Cove 25. A 15-yard run by Green on second down put the ball on the 5.
Two runs by Penn finally got the Hornets a touchdown. A two-point conversion by Green had Hazen within 6.
The Hazen defense stiffened on Magnet Cove's next series and an 18-yard punt put the Hornets at their 39 with 2:33 left in the quarter. Green got five yards on first down, then Penn scored his second touchdown on the next play, outrunning the Magnet Cove defense for a 56-yard score with 1:46 left in the third quarter.
The two teams traded turnovers on the first possessions of the fourth quarter, then traded punts on the next two possessions.
With 4:47 remaining in the game, Toll and Mills took over on the next possession and the Hornets secured the lead and the victory.
Sports on 11/18/2017