HAMILTON, Ill. - Three consecutive onside-kick recoveries turned a close game into a commanding lead as Scotland County powered past West Hancock, 49-20, on the Titans’ Homecoming night Friday.
The Tigers rushed for 357 yards, forced five turnovers and scored 29 points during a decisive second quarter. Emit Long led the ground attack with 190 yards on 21 carries and four touchdowns, while Brock McDonald added 108 yards and two scores on 12 attempts.
West Hancock struck first when Wade Gooding connected with Benton Boley for a five-yard touchdown. Hunter Whibley converted the two-point try to give the Titans an 8-0 lead with 7:29 remaining in the opening quarter.
Scotland County answered behind Long, who finished a drive with a 15-yard touchdown run. The conversion attempt failed, leaving West Hancock ahead 8-6 entering the second quarter.
The Tigers took control from there.
Jaden Bergeson found Cohen Small for a 24-yard touchdown, and Long added the two-point conversion to move Scotland County in front. Cooper Small then helped the Tigers repeatedly steal possessions with three consecutive successful onside kicks, each recovered by Scotland County.
Long broke loose for a 31-yard touchdown before McDonald scored from 12 yards out. Long added his third touchdown of the half on a five-yard run, helping the Tigers build a 35-8 advantage.
West Hancock finally regained possession late in the quarter and scored on a five-yard run by Whibley with 14 seconds remaining, trimming Scotland County’s halftime lead to 35-14.
The onside-kick sequence was exactly the kind of opportunity Scotland County believed it could create entering the game.
“We thought we had a couple weaknesses we could exploit coming in,” Tigers head coach Kirk Stott said during the Beck’s Hybrids Scoreboard Show. “We ended up with three onside kicks in a row that he kicked perfectly, and our guys went down and recovered. That really changed the game.”
Scotland County returned to its punishing rushing attack after halftime. Long scored from 12 yards out midway through the third quarter, stretching the lead to 42-14.
West Hancock threatened to answer late in the period, but McDonald intercepted Gooding near the Tigers’ goal line. Scotland County turned the takeaway into another touchdown when McDonald scored from four yards out just seven seconds into the fourth quarter.
Cooper Small converted all five of his extra-point attempts after Scotland County’s opening two-point try, complementing his game-changing work on kickoffs.
Boley caught his second touchdown of the night on a 33-yard pass from Gooding with 7:02 remaining, but the Tigers used their reserves and ground game to drain the remaining time. Freshman quarterback Quinten Long helped direct the offense down the stretch as Scotland County secured its fourth victory of the season.
Landon McDonald contributed 43 yards on six carries, Cohen Small added an 18-yard rush to his touchdown reception and Aiden Nelson carried three times for nine yards. Denny Black added seven yards on two attempts.
For West Hancock, Chandler Dadant carried 26 times for 117 hard-earned yards. Gooding passed for 110 yards and two touchdowns, while Boley finished with four receptions for 50 yards and both scores. Hunter Froman caught six passes for 52 yards, and Whibley recorded three receptions for 26 yards in addition to his rushing touchdown.
Stott credited Scotland County’s offensive front for controlling the game and allowing the Tigers’ backs to remain patient.
“Our running game is what we hang our hat on,” Stott said. “We want to play fast, and we want to play physical. That all starts with our O-line up front.”
Palmer Kice, Tristan Benedict, Dayton Rowland, Brody Wheeler and Jathan Fuller were among the Tigers who helped open running lanes throughout the night.
Stott also praised Long’s physical running style, noting that he repeatedly carried defenders while fighting for additional yardage.
“He didn’t slow down all night,” Stott said. “Some of those runs, he was dragging two or three guys with him. He’s just a fast, physical runner.”
Scotland County improved to 4-1 and will enter its bye week with consecutive convincing victories. The Tigers are scheduled to return to action on the road against Salisbury.
Photo courtesy for this story provided by Tia Hamilton
(This game recap is presented based upon the coverage of the Hometown Radio Sports Network. Any statistics given should be deemed as unofficial.)
