By Mike Goodson/Sports Correspondent
Darrian Meads exploded for 224 yards on 21 carries and scored three touchdowns as the Hokes Bluff Eagles built a 33-0 halftime lead on the way to a 47-14 Class 4A, Region 6 victory over Ashville last Friday (Oct. 13).
Quarterback Landon Johnson added 92 yards on seven carries while finding the end zone twice. The Eagles amassed 439 yards, 375 rushing and 64 passing while holding the Bulldogs (2-5, 1-4) to 236 yards of total offense.
“We played well on both sides of the ball tonight,” said Hokes Bluff head coach Mike Robertson. “We whipped them physically and our kicking game played well. We were coming off of a big win on the road, and we were not sure how our guys would respond. Our offensive line did an outstanding job.”
Hokes Bluff (6-1, 4-1) needed only two plays and 52 seconds to take the lead at 6-0. Johnson scored on a 60-yard run on the Eagles’ second offensive play. The PAT was no good but the Eagles were in control.
On the next Hokes Bluff possession Johnson, capped a 12-play, 76-yard drive to put the Bluff up 12-0 with 36 seconds to go in the opening period.
With time running out in the first quarter Ashton Gulledge intercepted an Ashville pass and returned it to the Bulldog 5-yard line. It took the Eagles two plays for Meads to cover the distance, scoring on a 1-yard run with 11:56 to go in the first half. Dane Driskill kicked the PAT and Hokes Bluff led 19-0. The Eagles added a 68-yard Meads TD run and a 34-yard Johnson-to-Braydon Hill scoring pass to make the halftime score 33-0.
Hokes Bluff added a 38-yard Meads touchdown run and a 30-yard Tyler Braswell TD run to blow the game wide open in the third quarter at 47-0.
Ashville finally got on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter with a 59-yard Landon Cornutt run and a Cornutt-to-Hunter Reynolds TD pass.
Hokes Bluff will play host to the Anniston Bulldogs this Friday (Oct. 20).
“We now have two big games coming up [with] Anniston and Saks,” said Robertson. “We’re just going to take them one game at a time.”