HACKETT -- It became apparent from the opening kickoff that the Decatur Bulldogs had their hands full when they traveled to Hackett Oct. 6 to take on the Hornets at Mills Field there.
On the opening kickoff, the Hornets took the ball all the way into the end zone for the first touchdown of the game. A two-point conversion made it 8-0 with only 25 seconds elapsed from the clock in the first quarter. Hackett would go on to score four more touchdowns before the quarter ended. Decatur managed to block an extra point, making it 24-0 Hackett.
As in the first quarter, the Hornets ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown just 15 seconds into the second quarter. A two-point conversion made it a 32-0 Hackett ballgame. A second touchdown-conversion combination gave Hackett a 40-0 game at the halftime break.
Early in the third quarter, the Bulldogs intercepted a pass at the Hackett 45 yard line and ran it into the end zone for a Decatur touchdown. A penalty after the interception nullified the touchdown. Decatur retained the ball. The Bulldogs were unable to take advantage of the Hornet mistake. A few minutes later, the Decatur defense forced a fumble on the Hackett 35 yard line which was recovered by Decatur's Austin Hamilton. The Hornets held the Bulldogs in three plays.
The game remained scoreless for the rest of the half, giving the Hackett Hornets the victory, 40-0, and the conference win.
In the junior high contest played earlier, the Hornets jumped out to a 35-0 lead with less than two minutes left in the first quarter. Decatur gained possession of the ball with 90 seconds left. Roger Hernandez took a hand-off from quarterback Bryson Funk and ran for a 30-yard touchdown. A conversion attempt failed, ending the quarter, 35-6.
The Hornets scored another touchdown in the second quarter. A conversion attempt was stopped three yards from the goal line by the Bulldog defense. With a little over a minute left in the half, Hernandez found the end zone once again. Decatur's conversion was successful, making it a 35-14 contest at the break.
Two more touchdowns and a point after by Hackett, and a touchdown and a touchback by Decatur, made it a 48-22 Hackett contest.
Decatur will be back in action Oct. 13 for a homecoming contest against the JC Westside Rebels at Bulldog Stadium in Decatur. The junior-high game starts at 5 p.m. with the senior-high contest scheduled for 7 p.m. The homecoming king and queen will be crowned between the two games.
Sports on 10/11/2017