PONTOTOC – After both teams lit up the scoreboard in the second half, it all came down to who could get a timely stop. Unfortunately for Pontotoc, it wasn’t the Warriors.
New Hope’s defense gave the Trojans just enough to hold on for a 42-35 win over Pontotoc in the Region 1-5A opener for both teams. The two teams combined for 50 points in the second half.
“We gutted it out tonight,” New Hope head coach Allen Glenn said. “We found a way to win. Sloppy, but a sloppy win is better than a loss any day. So, we’re excited about it. We’re going to celebrate for the next day or so and get ready for Corinth next week.”
Pontotoc led 14-13 at halftime, but a shootout broke out in the second half.
New Hope (5-1, 1-0) forced a punt to open the third quarter and returned it for a touchdown. A 54-yard strike from quarterback Courtland Pass briefly gave Pontotoc (3-2, 0-1) the lead back. As Pontotoc was trying to add onto its lead, the Warriors fumbled the ball, and New Hope took it back 61 yards for a touchdown to retake the lead.
Pontotoc managed to tie the game at 28-28 heading into the fourth quarter. Jeremiah Harkins then punched in his third touchdown of the game for New Hope, only for Pass to turn a scramble into a nearly 70-yard touchdown run to tie it back up at 35-all.
The Trojans found the end zone with 3:09 remaining in the fourth quarter. Pontotoc lost a fumble on its ensuing possession and then turned it over on downs in the final seconds.
Harkins led the way for New Hope’s offense with 123 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
“It felt great, man,” Harkins said. “Like I said, if it wasn’t for my O-line, I would not be at this point right here if it wasn’t for my O-line, though, for real. They did an amazing job.”
Losing shootouts isn’t the way Pontotoc has played in recent years. The Warriors found the explosive plays they’ve been looking for in the past, but they ended up on the wrong side of a tight contest.
“We have explosive plays, we have some explosive players,” Pontotoc head coach Jeff Carter said. “But we’ve got to learn how to finish. Just got to learn how to finish, and we haven’t done it yet.”
Extra Points
Turning Point: Tyrekus Brooks scored New Hope’s game-winning touchdown with just over three minutes left in the game.
Point Man: Harkins rushed for 123 yards and three touchdowns.
Talking Point: “If you weren’t here, you missed a really good high school football game.” – Carter
Philip Poe is sports editor.
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