Courtesy of Anniston Star
Cleburne County wasn’t prepared for Pace Ozmint on Friday (Oct. 30).
Glencoe High’s senior running back/safety rushed 14 times for 151 yards, had 129 receiving yards and three touchdowns on three receptions and had six tackles and an interception on defense in the Yellow Jackets’ 38-20 win against the Tigers in Heflin.
The Tigers’ defensive woes in trying to slow down Pace Ozmint were magnified by their offensive struggles. The Tigers (8-2) didn’t pick up a first down until the final minutes of the first half, when Glencoe (9-1) already led 10-0 courtesy of Chase Wilson’s 38-yard touchdown pass to Ozmint at 3:25 of the first quarter and Andrew Lang’s 24-yard field goal at 2:41 of the second period. Lang also went 5-for-5 on extra points for the night.
“We were inside a lot this week, so we did a lot of film study,” Glencoe head coach Lee Ozmint said. “We learned different players in different formations, and by Thursday afternoon we watched enough film that we were talking to each other and calling it out. As a coach, you try to teach your kids what to do and why to do it, and our kids are starting to understand the why.”
CCHS quarterback Brock Swafford led the Tiger offense on a five-play, 65-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a 1-yard run by Mario Smith with 1:32 left before halftime.
But the Yellow Jackets responded four plays later with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Cole Holbrooks.
Even with only 38.3 seconds left in the first half, that was just enough time for Pace Ozmint to take over just before intermission. Pace Ozmint started by intercepting a pass on a third down-and-3, returning the ball inside Tiger territory. A personal foul penalty on CCHS moved the ball an additional 15 yards.
With 1.8 seconds left, Wilson targeted Pace Ozmint, who pulled down the pass in double coverage, broke away from a pair of tackle attempts and scored a 33-yard touchdown.
“Chase is what made me look good tonight,” Pace Ozmint said. “He made the throws. I just went up and caught it.”
That final-play touchdown gave Glencoe a 24-7 lead at halftime.
Pace Ozmint scored his fourth touchdown midway through the third quarter on a 56-yard strike from Wilson for good measure.
Austin Bush finished off the Yellow Jackets’ scoring for the night with a 5-yard touchdown run at 10:41 of the fourth quarter.
“Pace is just a football player; that’s what he is,” Lee Ozmint said. “He’s probably not the fastest kid in the state or strongest or toughest, but he makes plays. I wish I could get some colleges to look at him, but I can’t get anyone interested.”
Wilson finished the night 5-of-7 passing for 169 yards and four touchdowns while rushing five times for 43 yards. Bush had 38 yards on 14 carries.
Noah Hauk led Glencoe with 12 tackles, followed by Austin Bush with eight.
Glencoe hosts Colbert County in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs this week.