Hayden roars back

By RICK PETERSON

The Capital-Journal

Hayden came within an eyelash of falling behind by two touchdowns midway through the second quarter before running off 33 unanswered points in a 46-20 Centennial League victory over Shawnee Heights Friday night at Hayden.

"It gets a little rocky at times, but the bottom line is that we won against an improved football team and we're getting better," said Hayden coach Tom Stringer, whose Wildcats improved to 3-1 overall and 3-0 in the league with their third straight victory.

Junior Jared Head rushed for 144 yards on 16 carries, his second straight 100-yard rushing game, passed for 174 yards and two touchdowns and also picked off a pass defensively to key the Wildcats.

Senior Luke Waldo rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown for Shawnee Heights (1-3, 0-2), but senior quarterback Ryan Finan, who went into the game as the city's No. 3 passer, managed just one completion in 10 attempts for 11 yards, with two interceptions.

Heights led 14-6 with 8:46 left in the second half and had a chance to add to its lead when Hayden's Corey Menke fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the T-Birds took over at the Wildcat 16.

The T-Birds fumbled the ball into the end zone and Hayden recovered on the very next play, however, with the Wildcats able to dodge that bullet.

Hayden went on to drive 80 yards in eight plays, with a 63-yard run by Head setting up a 2-yard Jesse Tetuan touchdown run.

The Wildcats' 2-point conversion attempt failed, leaving Hayden behind 14-12, but Shawnee Heights fumbled four plays later, with senior John Hoytal recovering at the T-Bird 39.

Hayden recovered its own fumbles on the next two plays, then Head connected with Menke, a junior, for a 37-yard touchdown on third down with 1:40 remaining in the half. Head hit senior David Nimz for the 2- point conversion, putting the Wildcats in front by 6.

The lead grew to 14 on Hayden's second possession of the third quarter, with Head hitting Nimz for a 50-yard score. Tetuan ran for the 2-point conversion.

The Wildcats put the game out of reach two possessions later, with a 29-yard Tetuan run setting up a 2-yard touchdown run by junior Aaron Freeman. Tetuan ran for the 2-point conversion.

Shawnee Heights (1-3) 7 7 0 6 --- 20Hayden (3-1) 0 20 8 18 --- 46 SH -- Foland 4 run (Brown kick)

H -- Tetuan1 run (kick blocked)

SH -- Brown 34 run (Brown kick)

H -- Tetuan 2 run (run failed)

H -- Menke 37 pass from Head (Nimz pass from Head)

H -- Nimz 50 pass from Head (Tetuan run)

H -- Freeman 2 run (Tetuan run)

H -- Hutzell 27 FG

SH -- Waldo 1 run (run failed)

H -- Head 10 run (Hutzell kick)

GAME IN FIGURES

Heights HaydenFirst downs 12 14Rushes-yards 50-266 43-263Passing yards 11 174Return yards 51 26Passes 1-10-2 5-11-1Punts 2-19.0 3-40.1Fumbles-lost 2-2 4-2Penalties-yards 3-25 7-55INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Shawnee Heights: Waldo 13-100, Foland 11-72, Martin 15- 57, Brown 1-32, Finan 10-5. Hayden: Head 16-144, Tetuan 12-42, Hoytal 9-40, Stanhope 2-21, Freeman 2-11, Grace 1-5, Montgomery 1-0. PASSING -- Shawnee Heights: 1-10-2, 11 yards. Hayden: Head 5-11-1, 174. RECEIVING -- Shawnee Heights: Ayala 1-11. Hayden: Nimz 3-93, Michel 1- 44, Menke 1-37. PUNTING -- Shawnee Heights: Finan 2-19.0. Head 3- 40.1.

Copyright 1999
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.