Mark Maynard
The Independent
ASHLAND —
Ashland showed a physical side Friday night.
Maybe it was the presence of the 1975 and 1990 state champions, both whose calling card was physical football, that were introduced to an appreciative Putnam Stadium crowd at halftime.
Whatever the reason, the Tomcats showed it has some substance to go with that flash in a 36-22 victory over Belfry.
“Tonight we showed up and played physical,” said Ashland coach Leon Hart.
Tomcat quarterback Sam Hunter accounted for 300 total yards and four touchdowns. He rushed for 162 yards and two TDs and completed 9 of 14 passes for 138 yards and two TDs.
Ashland (3-0) never trailed against Belfry (1-2) but the Tomcats were also never comfortable.
Hunter had touchdown runs of 33 and 40 yards, the latter coming with 59 seconds remaining to all but seal the win.
Tempers flared at that point and, after a few flags, order was restored. However, referees ejected Tomcat sideline radio announcer David Payne from the stadium. He did come back after the game for the postgame coach’s show.
It was a night full of offense. Ashland piled up 447 yards and Belfry 308.
“We knew going in a key would be stopping them and we didn’t do a very good job of that,” said Belfry coach Phil Haywood.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Tomcats marched 82 yards with Hunter threading the needle on a 9-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Whetsel past Belfry defenders.
“Sam threw that one through the tightest hole ever and it was a good job by Ryan to make the catch,” Hart said.
Hunter connected with Cody Withrow on a 34-yard touchdown late in the first half. Withrow went up high to corral the pass on fourth down for a 16-8 lead.
But even after throwing for 125 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, the Tomcats went nearly all run in the second half. Hunter threw only once after intermission, a 15-yard completion to Logan Salow.
But Hunter did peel off some big runs as did senior Trey Rogers, who finished with 114 yards rushing, including a 43-yard touchdown. Rogers also had a pair of two-point conversion runs.
Ashland never trailed although Belfry tied it 8-8 in the second quarter on Tyler Williams’ 31-yard run. However, the Pirates stayed within striking distance nearly the entire game.
“We couldn’t make the stop when we needed it,” Haywood said. “(Number) Two (Hunter) is an outstanding athlete. We saw him last year as a sophomore and he has a much better grasp of the offense. He can do a lot of things and so can 25 (Rogers).”
The Tomcats went right at the Pirates in the second half, even when things went wrong. Hunter fumbled one snap, but he picked it up, and then darted 43 yards for a TD on Ashland’s second play after intermission for a 22-8 advantage.
Ashland struggled on the center-quarterback exchange and fumbled seven times overall.
“We laid it on the ground a lot,” Hart said. “This game could have been a lot more comfortable.”
Belfry wasn’t finished. The Pirates cut it to 22-15 on Gary Runyon’s 10-yard run with 4:38 to play in the third quarter.
But Ashland had the answer again, this time it was Rogers exploding for a 43-yard touchdown to up the lead to 30-15.
The Tomcats were leading 30-22 and moving in for a clinching score when Hunter lost a fumble inside the 10.
However, after gaining 19 yards on a run, the backbreaker for the Pirates came when cornerback Matt McLeod intercepted a pass on the 43. After being burned twice in the first half, McLeod wasn’t going to make it three. He went up high and hauled in the interception while landing hard.
“He had pretty good position on that one,” Haywood said. “I thought we might be going to the flat receiver but he (quarterback Tyler Williams) thought he had him deep.”
Ashland locked it up when Hunter went 40 yards for his second touchdown with 59 seconds to play.
“The big guys up front did a good job of matching up,” Hart said. “I probably got too fired-up about running in the second half. We were trying to get them out of that box.”
Hart said playing in front of the ’75 and ’90 champions was a thrill for his players.
“It doesn’t stop at ’90 and ’75. This (tradition) goes back to the ‘30s. We owe those guys.
“When they’re here, it’s really special. I finally got to meet Juan Thomas. I’ve heard about him for eight years. I told him I’d heard a lot of stories about him. He said ‘They’re all true.’”
MARK MAYNARD can be reached at mmaynard@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2648.
