The Dierks Outlaws will keep the Howard County Cup in Dierks at least until next season after getting by the Mineral Springs Hornets, 57-46, Friday night in the county’s annual 2A football battle.
The win evened the Outlaws’ overall record at 3-3 and 2-1 in conference while the Hornets dropped to 2-4 and 1-1 in conference play.
The Outlaws will travel to Lafayette County to take on the Cougars, who are 1-5 overall and 1-2 in conference.
Kick-off is set for 7:00.
The Hornets will travel to Murfreesboro to face the 3-3 Rattlers, who are 1-1 in conference play.
Kick-off is set for 7:00.
Dierks racked up 650 yards of offense against the Hornets, who posted 348 yards of offense.
The Outlaws were led by senior Lane Woodruff, who rushed 19 times for 271 yards and two touchdowns and also pulled in five catches for 121 yards and two TDs. Dierks quarterback Caleb Adams hit eight of 14 passes for 196 yards and also rushed nine times for 57 yards and one TD. Adding to the Outlaw total were Peyton Frachiseur with eight carries for 50 yards and two TDs and three receptions for 39 yards. Brayden Kirby also had five carries for 61 yards and one TD.
The Hornets gained most of their yardage on the ground (303) with junior Ricky Walker rushing 19 times for 136 yards and one TD.
Hornet QB Octavian Ceaser rushed 12 times for 76 yards and three TDs. Deshawn Compton added 19 carries for 57 yards and one TD.
Ceaser hit four of 18 passes for 45 yards and one TD, which was caught by Kevonte Esters.
Friday night’s scoring opened at the 7:12 mark in the first quarter when the Outlaws turned a bad snap on a Hornet punt into six points. Woodruff scored from 12 yards and Guillermo Sanz kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
The Hornets responded with a 61-yard drive capped by Walker from seven yards out with 6:42 left in the opening quarter. The kick failed to set the score at 7-6 Dierks.
Dierks’ next possession went 69 yards in three plays, including Caleb Adams connecting with twin brother, Cale, to get deep into Hornet territory. The drive was capped by QB Adams from 17 yards out and Sanz booted the Outlaws up 14-6 with 4:19 left in the first quarter.
The Outlaws started to pull away in the second quarter and posted 22 points, which included a 20-yard field goal by Sanz, while holding the Hornets to six points to set the halftime score at 36-12. The Outlaw second-quarter points included a six-yard run by Frachiseur and two TD passes – 49 and 30 yards – from Adams to Woodruff.
The Hornets outscored the Outlaws, 20-14, in the third quarter. Ceaser hit Esters for a TD and Compton ran in the two-point conversion at the 9:25 mark and then at the 5:05 mark Fred Robinson intercepted an Outlaw pass and went 55 yards for the score.
The Outlaws’ third-quarter scoring came from a five-yard run by Frachiseur and a 13-yard run by Kirby.
Woodruff capped his big night of scoring with a 55-yard run at the 10:06 mark in the fourth quarter. Sanz’ kick topped the Outlaws out at 57.
The Hornets continued to slash at the Outlaw lead in the fourth quarter when Ceaser capped a drive with a two-yard run and Compton added six more points with a two-yard run to tally the 57-46 score.
