WEST POINT, Ala. – The West Point Warriors were off last week, and they looked well-rested when the Hayden Wildcats came to town Friday night. West Point jumped out to a 21-6 lead in the first half and the Warriors continued to put points on the board in the second half, pulling away to earn a 42-14 win.
Hayden got the ball first to start out the game, and the drive was dominated by penalties from both teams. After collecting a first down a short pass, three plays later, the Wildcats coughed up the ball, and Bryant Moon recovered the ball at the 42. The Warriors got their running game going on its opening drive, as the trio of Ayden Ennis, Ollie Howell, and Titan Thornton helped them move the ball to the 21. Ennis found Cooper Howard for 11 yards and a first down, then two plays later, Howell punched it in from a yard out to give West Point a 7-0 lead with 5:24 remaining in the opening period.
A pair of Warrior penalties on Hayden’s next drive helped them move the ball to the 39, and a few plays later, after getting a first down, another penalty by West Point put the ball at the 20. Hayden scored three plays later on a two-yard run. They missed the extra point, and the score was now 7-6. After getting a first down on their first play of its next drive, the Warriors’ offense stalled, and they were forced to punt. In a matter of four plays, they picked up 65 yards, with two of those plays coming on a 24-yard pass and a 30-yard pass. That quickly put them at the 23, and later on, two more penalties moved the ball to the four. The Warrior defense, though, stiffened on fourth down, as Thornton collected a sack to give the ball back to their offense.
A big run by Howell was followed by a six-yard run by Thornton. After the play, a penalty on Hayden, followed by another one on the Wildcats, quickly put the ball at the 32. A Warrior score got taken away because of a penalty. Later that drive, Ennis found Howard for 10 yards, and he connected with Bryant Moon for 31 yards to set up shop at the two-yard line. Ennis took it in himself from three yards out on third down to give West Point a 14-6 lead. It didn’t take long for them to get the ball back, as Julio Fuentes picked off a Wildcat pass, and it didn’t take long for them to find the end zone. On just the second play of its series, Ennis threw a perfect 41-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Shelton, as they ended up taking a 21-6 lead into the locker room.
The Warriors got the ball to start out the second half, but after getting a first down on the first play of its opening series, a penalty pushed them behind the sticks, and they were forced to punt. West Point’s defense, though, forced a punt, but Hayden ended up forcing and recovering a fumble on the punt. A turnover on downs gave the ball back to the Warrior offense. The running game, plus a roughing the passing penalty on the Wildcats, put the ball at the 30. Howell converted on fourth down to help keep their drive alive, and an eight-yard run by Thornton had the ball at the 10. Howell’s hard-nosed 10-yard run on the next play made it 28-6. Hayden cut it to 28-12 on a 70-yard run.
West Point didn’t waste any time responding on its next drive, as Ennis connected with Moon for a 53-yard score to stretch their lead to 35-12. Late in the fourth quarter, Maddox Chapman picked off a pass, and Howell scored his third touchdown of the game on their next drive, as his two-yard run put the finishing touches on a 42-12 win for the Warriors.
Howell finished with 132 yards on 21 carries and three scores for West Point. Ennis finished 9/14 for 180 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception; he also added a touchdown on the ground. Moon ended up with a pair of receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown, while Shelton added a 41-yard touchdown reception of his own. Moon recovered a fumble, while Fuentes and Chapman each recorded an interception for the Warriors.
West Point (3-2) will head to Priceville for a region matchup next week.
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