BEARCATS CLOSE OUT 42 POINT FIRST HALF WITH SPECIAL TEAMS TOUCHDOWN

With 3:36 to play in the first half at Mills Field Friday night the Bearcats took a 35-6 lead. They wanted more, and got it, going on to lead 42-6 at the half, then winning the game by the same score.

Following Oliver Loaeza’s kickoff the Bearcats (5-0, 2-0 Conference 3A-1) used timeouts after a second down stop by Conner Mayo with Damari Poole and a third down stop by Cutler Haller with Seth Wilson.

Rhett Nietert set up to receive a punt but could only watch from almost half the field away as the ball sailed over the punter’s head and into the end zone where Dylan Todd and Haller converged, with Haller getting the recovery for the touchdown.

Loaeza then added his sixth straight PAT of the night.

The Bearcats actually had another possession before the half as negative yardage stops by Hunter Warren and Wilson, along with an incomplete pass forced a Hornet punt with 25.8 seconds remaining.

Jace Washburn scrambled for a couple of yards and got out of bounds, Nietert picked up 15 and a third play would be an incomplete pass as time expired to keep it 42-6.

For Nietert the late carry was his sixth for a team leading 90 yards. He had a 25-yard carry to set up Warren’s 1-yard run to cap the game’s first drive – Hackett had won the toss and deferred – just 2:05 into the game.

Hackett’s first offensive play was a sack by Wilson but the second play was a 64-yard touchdown run to make it 8-6 with 8:59 left in the first quarter.

Clayton Green deflected a 2-point conversion pass attempt.

In a start reminiscent of 2022's 75-46 game between the two schools in Hackett, the Bearcats made it three scores in just over five minutes when Jace Washburn hit Dakota Mattson (shown) for 21 yards and a touchdown to make it 14-6.

Mattson caught his first career touchdown pass in that game at Mills field in 2022

Hackett’s second possession started with a sack by Todd – there were five of those – and ended with a fourth down tackle by Washburn.

A 42-yard carry by Nietert closed out the first quarter and Poole went 4 yards for a touchdown 11:19 before halftime to make it 21-6.

A fourth down sack by Haller got the ball back to the Bearcats just 38 seconds later and the Bearcats drove in for Poole’s second touchdown of the half, coming on a fourth-and-goal from the 1 and it was 28-6 with 8:40 left in the half.

Poole finished with 64 yards on 11 carries. Todd, who had a 34-yard run to highlight the drive, ran for 81 yards on just 6 carries.

Successive sacks by Green and Wilson and a fourth down incomplete pass gave the Bearcats the ball back.

The Bearcats would then make it 35-6 on a 10-yard run by Todd with 3:36 left in the half.

Out of the halftime break the Bearcats allowed a 42-yard run but then held on downs at their 43 and the offense would keep the ball the remainder of the quarter as the clock was in nonstop mode due to the sportsmanship, or mercy rule.

Chase Shelton and Conner Droemer both had runs of 10 or more yards and Cyle Myers saved the possession by pouncing on a fumble.

Ultimately the Bearcats opted for a 35-yard field goal try by Loaeza but it was just wide right.

The final quarter saw Shelton run for a touchdown that was negated by a penalty but Shelton would later run for 30 yards and finish the night with 60 yards on just three carries.

The Bearcats will be on the road again next week at Greenland. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.