Leverett's Chapel routs Oglesby, qualifies for six-man playoffs

Photo by Rev. Edwin Findley YOU'RE ALL WET, COACH — Leverett's Chapel head football coach Matt Everett got a bit of a shower by Daniel Still and Chas Maxwell after Friday's 66-21 win at Oglesby. The win, LC's seventh of the season, means that for the first time in decades, the Lions will be in the playoffs. OGLESBY — History was made Friday night, as the Leverett's Chapel Lions qualified to play a playoff game for the first time in over 25 years.

The Lions did so by defeating the Oglesby Tigers, 66-21. This game placed the Lions in second place in Division 2, District 15 six-man football. Six-man has a mercy rule, and the game was called with just a minute and half gone in the third quarter.

LC (7-2 overall, 3-1 in district play) has a bye this week. See the LC playoff situation in Tuesday's News Herald.

"We have come a long ways in these last four years," said head coach and Leverett's Chapel athletic director Matt Everett, whose school didn't even have football throughout the 1990s. The administration decided four years ago to begin playing football once again, and did so in the six-man ranks. LC eased back into it, though — the Lions had been an independent for the last three seasons until getting back into UIL district play this year.

Photo by Rev. Edwin Findley CATCH HIM IF YOU CAN — Leverett's Chapel quarterback Hunter Hammontree (1) runs past Oglesby's Daniel Martinez on the way to the end zone. Hammontree rushed for three scores and passed for five in helping LC rout Oglesby, 66-21, and in doing so, the Lions qualified for the playoffs for the first time since the 1980s. "We struggled at first," Everett assessed. "The administration and community has stuck will us, and here we are: first year in district and we are going to the playoffs."

The Lions had over 433 yards of total offense Friday night, and held the Tigers to less than 201 yards.

Senior Hunter Hammontree finished his final high school regular season game with a bang. He had five passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns, and totaled 406 yards. He had 171 yards on the ground and 235 yards in the air.

The night was special because he threw two touchdowns to Trevor Dean, one to Daniel Still, one to Chris Pruett and one to Tony Chavez. Hammontree completed 14-of-20 passes and kicked 6-of-9 extra points. Dustin Crews also scored a defensive touchdown when he recovered a fumble in the end zone on a kickoff.

"Our kids came out focused," Everett said. "Offensively, we were clicking. We ran some new stuff tonight. Oglesby had not seen it on film. We gave them a lot of problems.

"We had people running open all night. The kids executed like they were suppose to, and I am just proud of them."

Hammontree-to-Dean, which has been the most popular play call all year, started the scoring as they finished a four-play, 60- yard drive with Dean catching a 15-yard pass. Hammontree then kicked the extra point and with less than minutes off the clock, the Lions were leading 8-0 (the "extra point" in regular football counts for two points in six-man play).

The Tigers looked like they were going to make a game of it as they came rolling back. They finished a 44-yard drive when Joe Shaw hit Jon Key on a 28- yard pass over the middle. And Key's kick was good to tie the game at 8-8 with 7:47 left in the first quarter.

Two plays and 20 seconds later, the Lions were back into the end zone as Hammontree hit Still on a 41-yard pass. Hammontree's kick missed, however, but the Lions were in the drive seat with a 14-8 lead.

The Lions defense — particularly Cory Freeland, Miguel Falcon and Luncel Martin — held the Tigers to three-and-out. The Tigers' punt went out of bonds on the 5-yard-line. On a broken pass play, Hammontree scrambled from left to right, breaking at least five tackles as he ran for 75 yards to score. The kick wasn't good due to snap over the holder's head, but LC led 20-8, still in the first quarter. Oglesby managed another touchdown, but LC led 20-15 as the second quarter began. The quarter bought many tricks for the Lions and it did not treat the Tigers.

As the Lions opened the quarter, Chris Pruett caught his first pass on the season for a 52-yard touchdown. This finished a 70- yard, three-play drive. This time, Hammontree's kick was up and good and the Lion led 28-15 with 9:43 left in the half.

"We put a couple of new winkles in this week in pratrice," Everett said. "...We did a lot of crossing routes and corner routes, and Pruett was open in practice. We felt like we could put it in the game. I real proud of him. I know he is excited. He has played hard all year, never complained, and does what he is supposed to."

The Lions' defense again held the Tigers to four-and-out and the Lions came back on the next possession and scored again, once again Hammontree hitting Dean on a 15-yard jumping pass. This drive covered only three plays and 60 yards.

Hammontree's kickoff was deep and an Oglesby player touched the ball — it went into the end zone, where Dustin Crews fell on it to score. Not even a tick off the clock and Lions had exceeded their lead to 42-15, then 44-15 with Hammontree's kick.

Following a third Oglesy score, LC would score yet again. This time, it was Hammontree to Chavez on 6-yard pass to finish a three-play, 26-yard drive.

On the next Oglesby drive, LC's Chas Maxwell knocked the ball loose, then recovered it on the Oglesby 16-yard-line. Hammontree again took advantage of the turnover, and just one play later he was in the end zone. This finished the first half with LC leading 58-21.

Trying to make something happen, and six plays into a drive, the Tigers they were on the 35-yard-line when quarterback Joe Shaw threw his first interception on the night and Maxwell would make his second great defense play.

With the crowd anticipating the win, Hammontree again would be the hero as ran it in from 45 yards out, and with his kick, the game would be over. The ball went dead center through the goal posts and LC claimed the 66-21 victory. The game was over with 8:30 left in the third quarter.