Hewitt-Trussville runs Eagles out of playoffs
TRUSSVILLE — Hewitt-Trussville High School’s high-powered offense made believers out of Oak Mountain, as the Huskies showed no mercy in a 63-21 victory in Friday’s Class 7A first round football playoff game.
Hewitt, undefeated and ranked second in the Alabama Sports Writers Association 7A polls, rolled behind the ground attack of running back Grayson Cash and Noah Igbinoghene. Cash, a UAB commit, scored three rushing touchdowns and caught a 21-yard pass from quarterback Connor Adair, all in the first half. He finished the game with 196 yards in total offense, 148 of them rushing.
The Huskies opened with a quick 75-yard scoring drive finished by an Elliott McElwain touchdown, but Oak Mountain answered back with a lengthy drive of their own, taking 13 plays and six-and-a-half minutes to put Daniel Salchert in position for a 5-yard touchdown run.
Slow-ish and steady was the game plan that Eagles coach Cris Bell had, hoping to put the brakes on Hewitt’s quick offense. But the hosts were simply too quick and forced Oak Mountain to pick up the pace, with mixed results.
Two situations put the Eagles in a deep hole, from which they were not able to climb out.
After Cash scored late in the first quarter, Hewitt recovered an onside kick and set up shop on the Oak Mountain 41. Less than a half minute into the second period, Cash took a direct snap from the 2-yard line and ran straight in for the touchdown.
“That onside kick was huge, because it put them up by two scores early and put pressure on us,” Bell said.
Late in the half, Hewitt stopped the Eagles on downs at the Husky 19 with 48 seconds before halftime. Cash then scrambled 50 yards to the Oak Mountain 12. After being sacked, Adair then connected with Cash for the TD with nine seconds left.
Then after the ensuing kickoff, Eagles quarterback Wyatt Legas threw an interception to Hewitt defensive back Trevor Sisk, who ran it back 58 yards for the back-breaking pick-six with no time on the scoreboard.
Oak Mountain (3-8) showed signs of life in the third quarter, thanks in part to big runs by Salchert of 52 and 26 yards. Jaylin Gaines followed with a 6-yard touchdown run 96 seconds into the second half.
The Eagles then scored again on a 4-yard run by Luke Percer, but that was all the visitors could muster. The Huskies (11-0) finished with fourth-quarter scores by Adair and Grey Ryle.
Legas was 12-of-20 passing for 96 yards. Salchert ran 14 times for an even 100 yards.
The loss brings an end to a tough season for Bell’s squad.
“We did some things well, but weren’t able to sustain our success over the course of a year,” Bell said. “I didn’t do a real good job of getting our kids ready to play week in and week out, and we’ve got to do a better job of that.”
Hewitt moves on to host Gadsden City next week. The Titans defeated Mountain Brook to advance to the second round of the Class 7A playoffs.