The Booneville Junior High Bearcats wasted no time asserting dominance in a 50-0 win over Hackett Thursday night.
Although Hackett got the ball to start the game, by the end of the first 8-minute quarter, the Bearcats (6-0, 3-0 Conference 3A-1) already led 36-0.
Laythen Shaffer recovered a fumble on the first offensive play of the game and, after a penalty exchange for a false start and offside, Callen Montalvo rumbled 42 yards for a 6-0 lead.
Hackett’s first full series included Hunter Barnes and Sadler Miller combining on a 5-yard tackle for a loss and Braxton Hubble picking up a sack before ultimately ending in a punt which Hayden Daniel returned to the Hornet 20.
Another false start later, Montalvo went 22 yards for a touchdown and Daniel (shown) ran for the conversion and it was 14-0 with 5:05 left in the quarter.
Out of the kickoff Hackett went three-and-punt again and the Bearcats scored in two plays with Daniel going 43 yards for the touchdown and it was 20-0.
Barnes was in the backfield again on Hackett’s next possession and a pair of incomplete passes forced another punt that went only to the Hornet 35.
Drake Brackney hit Caiden Poore with a pass for a touchdown from there and, with Miller running for an extra two, it was 28-0 with 1:43 left in the quarter.
Miller would get in the end zone again by returning an interception 33 yards for a touchdown and Ayden Rhinehart added the 2-point conversion for a 36-0 advantage with 1:02 still to play in the quarter.
That was enough time for Hackett to punt for the fourth time in the quarter.
That punt was downed at the Bearcat 45, which meant the second quarter began with the Bearcats on their side of the field for the first time.
Six plays later Brackney went 7 yards for a touchdown and Nate Fowler got into the scoring column with a 2-point conversion and it was 44-0.
The Bearcats forced another punt before the half ended but took a knee twice to run out the clock.
The Bearcats first second half possession started at the Hackett 40 after a turnover on downs and ended with Rhinehart gong 27 yards for a touchdown.
Edwin Garcia had saved the possession by picking up a fumble and running for a first down.
Rowgan Haller forced a Hornet fumble on the ensuing possession and Karson Tillery won a battle for the recovery with under five minutes to play.
Up next for the Bearcats is Greenland at 7 p.m. next Thursday at Bearcat Stadium.