By Staff
Junior Justin Youngblood jukes, cuts, speeds his way to 219 yards in Hartselle win
Nick Johnston, Hartselle Enquirer
FLORENCE – Justin Youngblood ran wild, Nikita Stover caught a touchdown pass and returned a punt for a score, and Hartselle got a win.
After losing two straight games and seemingly starting to disappear, the Tigers bounced back for a 42-7 win against Coffee Friday night.
"It's a tribute to our guys," head coach Bob Godsey said. "They just keep fighting and fighting."
Youngblood ran for 219 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Tigers. Stover made four catches for 78 yards and a score to go along with his punt return for a touchdown.
"Justin keeps getting better. But, you go down the line, Justin obviously got some yards tonight, but Isiah (Herring) ran the ball hard, too," Godsey said. Herring rushed 14 times for 82 yards. "Up front, we played as well and as aggressive as we have all year.
"Nikita opens the field up by just being out there. He's an important part of this team, just like the rest of the guys."
Hartselle (3-4, 3-2) is now firmly in fourth place in Class 5A, Region 8. A win against Athens Friday night would seal a playoff spot.
A loss last Friday night against Coffee would have been disastrous, but quarterback Seth Watson, along with Youngblood and Stover, made sure nothing of the sort would happen.
Youngblood scored the game's first touchdown, and a 23-yard scoring strike from Watson to Stover made the score 14-0.
In the second quarter, Watson scampered 32 yards on a fourth and nine play to make the score 21-0.
Early in the third quarter, Chris Wiley intercepted his fourth pass of the season, but it may have come at a cost. On the return, Wiley tried to cut back, and his knee gave way. He tore his ACL and will miss the remainder of the season.
Youngblood scored his second touchdown of the night at 5:08 mark in the third quarter from 15 yards, and less than two minutes later Stover returned a punt for 68 yards and a score.
Coffee's only score came on its ensuing possession, as a "flea flicker" fooled Hartselle's second string defense and went for 47 yards.
Herring added the game's final score midway through the fourth with a three-yard plunge into the endzone. Youngblood set up the score with a 63-yard journey down and across the field.
How They Scored
First Quarter
HHS – Justin Youngblood six-yard run (kick failed)
HHS – Seth Watson 23-yard pass to Nikita Stover (conversion good)
Second Quarter
HHS – Seth Watson 32-yard run (kick good)
Third Quarter
HHS – Justin Youngblood 15-yard run (kick good)
HHS – Nikita Stover 68-yard punt return (kick good)
CHS – Vale Bonner 47-yard pass to Dontae Hollingsworth (kick good)
Fourth Quarter
HHS – Isiah Herring three-yard run (kick good)
Team Stats
HHS CHS
First Downs 15 10
Rushing yds. 352 Neg-12
C-A-I 8-13-0 14-33-2
Passing yds. 106 173
Total yds 458 161
Penalties-yds 9-89 5-25
Individual Stats
Rushing – Hartselle: Justin Youngblood 12-219, Isiah Herring 14-82, Gary Orr 2-30, Seth Watson 2-30. Coffee: William Littleton 1-12, Dave Savage 6-5, Theus Rowell 1-0, Vale Bonner 7-(-14), Arsenial Ingram 4-(-15).
Passing – Hartselle: Seth Watson 8-13-0, 106 yards, TD. Coffee: Vale Bonner 14-33-2, 173 yards, TD.
Receiving – Hartselle: Nikita Stover 4-78, Chris Wiley 2-16, Luke Mize 1-12, Justin Youngblood 1-0. Coffee: Dontae Hollingsworth 6-110, Martin Barnes 4-37, J.T. Murphy 3-20, Dave Savage 1-6.