Six minutes into Friday night’s game at Jim Repplinger Field in Hamilton, the Macomb High football team found itself in a rare position.
By the end of the LincolnLand West Division contest however, the Bombers finished in the same place it had for five of the previous six weeks.
Winners. After the slow start, the Bombers seized control by halftime, rolling to a 70-32 victory.
Macomb upped its record to 6-1 overall, 2-0 in West Division play.
West Hancock dropped to 2-5 overall, 0-2 in division play. It was the fifth straight win in the series for MHS, while the 70 points scored is the highest since at least 1996. The Bombers posted a 60-28 win over Knoxville in 2006.
For just the second time in seven games this season, the Bombers trailed.
Host West Hancock drove 83 yards in eight plays to score on its first possession.
Quarterback Wade Gooding and receiver Hunter Froman carried the offensive load as the pair combined for three catches totaling 81 yards.
The duo capped the drive with a 35-yard pitch-and-catch that gave West Hancock a 6-0 lead at the 8:03 mark of the opening period.
The Titan defense then forced a turnover as Bomber quarterback Kaden Knupp was stuffed for no gain on a fourth-and-inches. That gave West Hancock the ball at the Macomb 35.
Two plays later, Chandler Dadant scored on an 11-yard run. But for the second time, the point-after-touchdown conversion failed, leaving West Hancock with a 12-0 lead with 5:23 left in the first quarter.
But the Bombers soon made their presence felt on both sides of the ball.
Carter Havens returned the ensuing kickoff 35 yards, giving MHS possession at the Titan 49. On the next play, Drake May sailed through the line and did not stop until he reached the end zone.
Hayden Katz began his record-setting night with his first point-after-touchdown kick that closed the deficit to 12-7 at the five-minute mark.
West Hancock drove into Bomber territory on its next possession, but Kyler Norton tackled Dadant for a four-yard loss on a third-and-2.
The next play was an incomplete pass from Gooding, turning the ball over to MHS at its 43.
Macomb needed just two plays to score. After a 31-yard run by May, Havens scored on the following play with his 26-yard run.
The PAT kick by Katz gave Macomb a 14-12 lead with 51.7 seconds left in the period.
The Bombers caught a huge break on West Hancock’s next drive. The Titans attempted a halfback pass by Dadant, but he underthrew a wide open receiver that resulted in an incomplete pass.
The three-and-out by the Bomber defense, followed by a 17-yard punt by Froman resulted in Macomb taking possession at midfield.
After a 10-yard run by Havens, May ran 40 yards for the score with the PAT upping the MHS lead to 21-12.
The Bomber defense recorded another three-and-out that included a sack of Gooding by May.
Starting at the Titan 49, Macomb scored five plays later on May’s 4-yard run. Katz booted the PAT, giving MHS a 28-12 lead.
West Hancock responded by driving 65 yards in 10 plays.
Gooding and Boley combined for passing plays of 19 and 25 yards before Gooding and Froman finished the drive with a five-yard score.
The PAT failed, but the MHS lead was narrowed to 28-18 with 3:47 remaining before halftime.
That was more than enough time for both teams to score once more before the break.
Macomb needed just two plays to cover 67 yards. After a nine-yard run by May, Knupp and Norton connected for a 58-yard pitch-and-catch. The Katz PAT made it 35-18 with 3:03 to go.
West Hancock answered with an eight-play, 76-yard drive, capped by Gooding’s 10-yard pass to Dadant with 26.3 seconds left. The PAT failed, leaving the Bombers with a 35-24 lead at intermission.
“I was really proud of the way we responded to some adversity,” said MHS coach Tanner Horrell. “They came out and punched us in the mouth with two quick scores. But instead of hanging our heads we had the next play mentality.”
The opening of the second half was sparked by the MHS special teams.
Receiving the opening kickoff, Havens picked up the ball at his own 18, found an opening and raced his way 82 yards for the score. Thirteen seconds into the second half, the Katz PAT upped the lead to 42-24.
The Bombers then executed not one, but two on-sides kicks on consecutive possessions.
The first hit off a West Hancock lineman up front and was recovered by the Bombers Dean Wagoner at the Titan 48.
Six plays later, May scored on a 10-yard run with the Katz PAT making it 49-24.
The next kick was recovered by Jeshua McPheeters at the Titan 43.
After a 36-yard pass from Knupp to Norton, May scored on a seven-yard run. The Katz PAT kick increased the Macomb lead to 56-24 at the 8:51 mark of the third period.
“Coming out of halftime we wanted to set the tone and we did that through our special teams,” said Horrell. “Carter’s kick return took the wind out of their sails a bit and then Hayden executed two perfect onside kicks to kind of put the game away.”
“Hayden is such a weapon for us in the kicking game,” he added.
The Bomber defense then made the next big play with Norton intercepting a Gooding pass at the West Hancock 41.
Carter scored from there two plays later with the Katz PAT giving the Bombers a 39-point lead at 63-24.
The Titans fumbled the ball on their next offensive play with Drake Taber recovering for Macomb at the Titan 33.
Following a 7-yard pass play from Knupp to Nick Elbe, the second unit entered the contest.
Seven plays later, Johnathan Powell scored on a 5-yard run. Katz kicked his 10th and final PAT of the night that made it 70-24.
West Hancock wrapped up the scoring when Gooding and Froman hooked up for a 65-yard TD.
Dadant gave the Titans their one and only PAT conversion of the night that closed the scoring.
The Bombers finished with 526 yards of total offense. That included 355 yards rushing on 28 carries.
May finished with 199 yards and five TDs on 12 carries, while Havens added 120 yards and two scores on five carries.
“I thought our offensive line did a great job all night creating running lanes for Drake and Carter,” said Horrell. “Will (Thomas), Charlie (Bodiford), Eli (McClure), Sam (Potter) and Aiden (Reynold) continue to do an outstanding job.”
Knupp finished 8-of-9 passing for 134 yards and a score. Norton had five catches for 141 yards and a score.
For his work on the evening, Katz set new school records for PATs in a game (10), season (44 and counting) and scoring for kickers (117 and counting).
Katz surpassed Erik Eftedal for extra points in a season. Eftedal held the record with 39 in 1998.
May finished with 13 total tackles and a sack, while Norton, James Liebsack and Williams Thomas all added four tackles apiece.
Gooding finished 15-of-29 for 281 yards and two TDs with one interception for West Hancock.
Froman had five grabs for 116 yards and two scores, while Boley added seven catches for 113 yards.
“(West Hancock) Coach (Coy) Dorethy schemed up some great plays to get their guys open and they made plays,” said Horrell. “Hunter Froman is one heck of a wide receiver.”
The Titans managed just 12 yards rushing on 16 carries. The Bombers return to The Tarmac next week for its regular season home finale against Illini West (6-1, 3-0).
The Chargers edged Farmington last week 62-60 in overtime.
The lone loss for Illini West came in week four at South Fulton (22-8), who is also 6-1 on the season.
