Saturday, October 20, 2001

The Natchez Democrat

Hillcrest running back Richard Wakefield’s 3-yard touchdown

run late in the first half broke a 14-all tie as the Cougars held

on for a 30-20 win over the Adams County Christian School Rebels

Friday night at the ACCS football field.

Hillcrest improved its record to 2-5 while ACCS dropped to

0-8.

Wakefield finished with 176 yards on 24 carries as Hillcrest

racked up 346 yards on the ground.

&uot;Our contain was not good,&uot; said ACCS head football

coach Doug Clanton. &uot;They got outside too easy. Very few

times did we stop them.&uot;

ACCS scored the game’s first points when quarterback Ty Smith

connected with tight end Garrett Gamberi on an 11-yard scoring

strike with 5:20 to go in the first quarter. The Rebels faked

the extra point, but the try for two was no good.

Smith was 12-for-24 passing for 264 yards and two touchdown

passes, but was sacked three times.

On the ensuing kickoff, Hillcrest’s Richard Dean bobbled the

ball, picked it up at the Cougar 19, reversed his field and went

down the right sideline 81 yards for a touchdown for a 6-6 score.

&uot;That gave them some momentum and it took a little steam

out of us,&uot; Clanton said.

With three seconds left in the first quarter, Cougar quarterback

Justin Vandevender, who was 9-for-16 for 125 yards and one interception,

threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Trey Harris on fourth and 4

from the Rebel 10-yard line. Harris then threw to Vandevender

for the 2-point conversion and 14-6 Hillcrest lead.

Russ Marks ran in from 2 yards out for ACCS, and Smith threw

to Gamberi on the 2-point attempt early in the second quarter

to tie the score at 14 before Wakefield’s short touchdown run

with 1:09 remaining until halftime gave Hillcrest the lead for

good.

While Hillcrest turned the ball over three times, ACCS was

not able to take advantage of them.

&uot;He had missed opportunities. We had several dropped passes,&uot;

Clanton said. &uot;It’s the same thing we’ve been going through

the first seven games.&uot;

Vandevender ran in from 3 yards out late in the third quarter

to give the Cougars a 30-14 lead before Smith connected with Eric

Anders on a 77-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter.

ACCS will try again for its first win of the season when the

Rebels play at Columbia Academy at 7:30 p.m. next Friday.