Livingston fumbles, interceptions and touchdowns allowed on special teams created every avenue possible for Hardin-Jefferson to take a 33-24 win Friday night in Sour Lake.
After fumbles on their first two possessions, Livingston got on the board with a 20-yard rush from Trenden Williams (15-137, 2 TDs). The touchdown came just one play after the Hawks also fumbled the football on their own 20.
Hardin-Jefferson didn’t take long to answer, scoring in five plays. However, the extra point was blocked, and Jerren James picked the ball off the bounce, taking it back 80 yards for a 2-point conversion.
After a quarter, the Lions led 9-6.
Livingston extended their lead with a 37-yard run, again by Williams. The senior had 88 yards on the ground with two scores in the first half alone.
The 10-point advantage didn’t last long.
Hardin-Jefferson returned the next kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown and one play later, intercepted a pass that they would return 40 yards for a second score.
After a Lion punt, penalties and negative plays put Hardin-Jefferson in a 3rd-and-30 bind. Livingston sent a blitz, and the Hawks threw a wide receiver screen to Taveyian Thomas for 37 yards and a score. In four minutes of clock, the Hawks had three touchdowns.
The Lions would later drive and attempt a 41-yard field goal that was blocked as the half expired.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Livingston coach Finis Vanover said. “We were so physically dominant and every time we were getting after them. The defense played their butts off most of the night, they really did. We just kept turning it over to them and tempting them to score 33 points. We were a 48- or 52-point football team tonight and just blew it. You feel for them and you can’t just break them down totally, but ball security is the name of the game when you play like we do.”
A slant pattern produced a 72-yard touchdown for H-J on the second play of the second half, to put them up 33-16.
After a Livingston turnover on downs at the Hardin-Jefferson 4-yard line, the Hawks were in control. However, a hit on the quarterback by Deondre Johnson sent the ball into the air. Zayden Martin, standing in the end zone, snagged it for six points. James added the 2-point conversion, and momentum shifted back to the Lions.
Yet, the final three Livingston drives would end in frustration, with two fumbles and an interception – making it six total turnovers for the night.
Lion rushers had 334 yards on 39 carries. The passing game was not accurate enough. The quarterbacks were a combined 4-for-16, with 94 yards and two interceptions. Carson Pipes had three of the catches for 81 yards.
The Hawks had 80 yards on the ground and were 7-for-8 throwing, with 182 yards and two touchdowns. Livingston outgained the team celebrating homecoming 428-262.
“We had two great physical weeks of preparation and it showed. If we hadn’t been tough and hadn’t worked like they did to get themselves some confidence in our play the past two weeks, they could have run the scoreboard lights on us in the second half,” Vanover said. “But they kept chipping away, so I can’t fault them for that. We would line up and jump offsides or fumble or throw interceptions. I can’t even remember if we fumbled the ball in two weeks of practice going live every day in full pads. It is frustrating, but that is life.”
