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HUNTLAND (November 21) — The Huntingdon Mustangs traveled Thursday for a TSSAA Class 1A State Football Quarterfinal against the Huntland Hornets. The host team struck first with a field goal, and the Huntingdon offense got off to an uncharacteristically slow start, but they scored late in the first and early in the second for a 13-3 halftime lead. The Mustangs returned to form in the second half, dominating both sides of the ball to claim a 42-10 win.
Huntingdon will host Lake County in a semifinal battle of undefeateds on Black Friday, November 29 at 7 p.m. for a chance to go to the Class 1A title game in Cookeville on December 6.
Huntland received the opening kickoff and started at the 29. Hornet Kolbi Stewart ran for a first down, but it was quickly third-and-long. Quarterback Payton Reed threw to Garrett Jernigan for 36 yards to extend the drive, but the Mustang defense stifled it there. On fourth down, Abraham Morris kicked a 37-yard field goal to give Huntland a 3-0 lead with eight minutes to play in the first frame.
An onside kick attempt by Morris was recovered by Mustang Austin Baker at the Huntingdon 44. A holding penalty backed the ball up to the 34, and the Mustangs went three-and-out. Cole Edwards punted from midfield, and the Hornets took over at their own 25.
Three false starts doomed Huntland to a three-and-out. Deep in his own territory, Morris’s punt was blocked by Mustang Bo McLemore, recovered by Devin McClerkin and returned to the 15.
Huntingdon scored on two plays, the latter a seven-yard run by Brandon Lawton. Edwards kicked the PAT, and the Mustangs took a 7-3 lead with 2:51 left in the first quarter.
Edwards kicked into the end zone for a touchback to pin Huntland at the 20. The Hornets gained just enough for a first down, but then went backward on the next play as the frame ended. P. Reed threw to Stewart for 12 to start the second, but Morris had to punt on fourth-and-five at the 36.
Mustang quarterback Hunter Ensley fielded a strong punt near the 25 and returned it to the 33. Lawton ran for three, then a false start backed the ball up. On second-and-12, Konnor Pearson took it 69 yards to paydirt. Edwards had a rare miss on the PAT, and Huntingdon led 13-3 with just over ten minutes remaining before intermission.
Hornet Bryson Turner returned Edwards’s kickoff from the 1 to the 18. It was quickly fourth-and-two at the 26, and Huntland gambled and lost, turning the ball over at the 27. The Mustangs suffered a false start on first down and soon faced fourth-and-six at the Hornet 23. Huntland made the stop and took over on downs.