By Deunte Marshall/Sports Correspondent
Glencoe advanced to the second round of the Class 3A state playoffs with a 49-35 victory over the Hanceville on Friday (Nov. 8) at HHS.
“Our motto this week was to survive and advance, and that’s what we did tonight,” said Glencoe head coach Lee Ozmint. “I’m proud of our guys. They played a well-coached team and made the plays in the end. Now, we have to prepare for next week.”
Glencoe hosts Colbert County (10-1) on Friday. The Indians defeated Plainview, 42-14, on Friday.
The Yellow Jackets (7-4) started off fast, scoring on their first two offensive plays.
Quarterback Dylan Stone threw 49-yard touchdown pass to Pace Ozmint with 7:57 remaining in the first quarter. Joseph Bright tacked on the first of his five extra points.
The next score was set up off of Andrew Lang’s interception. Thomas Ozmint scored from 31 yards out but the PAT was missed, giving the Jackets a 13-0 lead midway in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs (9-2) came back with Brontae Harris’ 36-yard touchdown run with 4:25 remaining in the first quarter, and Carlos Chacon punched it in from three yards out to give Hanceville a 14-13 lead with 10:25 remaining in the second quarter.
Glencoe soon got over this hump, however, as the Jackets pulled off a nine-play, 55 yard drive that ended with Stone throwing Pace Ozmint for an 18-yard score, putting Glencoe in the lead at 20-14 with 8:45 to go in the half.
But the Bulldogs put together an 11-play 71-yard scoring drive in the final 1:30 of the quarter that ended on Jeremy Hurst’s 2-yard TD pass to Harris. Torrey Greene’s two-point conversion run in the final seconds sent Hanceville into the locker room with a 22-20 lead.
The Yellow Jackets’ survival mode kicked in when Thomas Ozmint took the second half’s opening kickoff to the 50-yard line.
Glencoe then put the ball in Thomas Ozmint’s hands, as the junior halfback reeled off three consecutive 10-yard runs. Ozmint capped off the possession with a 3-yard touchdown reception from Stone.
A two-point conversion catch from Houston Word put the Jackets back on top at 28-22 with 9:35 remaining in the third quarter.
Hanceville threw a counterpunch in the form of a 10-play 80-yard touchdown drive fished off by Greene’s 13-yard touchdown run. The extra point was blocked, however, leaving the game tied at 28-28 with 4:46 remaining in third.
Thomas Ozmint’s 32-yard TD run at 10:32 of the fourth quarter made it 35-28, but the Bulldogs tied the game on Hurst’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Jeffrey Dean at 6:46.
That was as close as Hanceville would get, as Glencoe scored 14 unanswered points to secure the win.
The first score was a 2-yard touchdown run by Stone with 5:35 remaining, while the second was Stone’s 70-yard TD pass to Andrew Willis with just under two minutes left.
Stone was 9-for-13- in passing for 254 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 21 and a touchdown on seven carries.
Thomas Ozmint rushed 21 times for 159 yards.
Pace Ozmint had four receptions for 135 yards, while Hunter Nunnally caught three passes for 46 yards.
Taylor Daugherty led the Yellow Jackets defensively with 17 tackles, including two for a loss.
Mason Brown and Houston Word each had 16 tackles, followed by Pace Ozmint with 10 and Grant Griffin with nine.