Deer Creek stuns DeSoto, wins district
championship
Southern
Sports & Travel
Redemption,
sleeplessness, anxiety, motivation……. As each week passed this season the Deer
Creek Warriors began feeling all of these emotions as the week ten October
meeting with second ranked DeSoto approached and when it became abundantly
clear that homecoming week would also include a chance to win a district
championship outright all of those emotions were heightened.
Defeating
a perennial power in Class A MAIS football isn’t an easy task and it’s
particularly difficult when that power has doled out four straight lopsided
beatings by a combined 113-8 but on a cool night in the heart of the
Mississippi Delta the Deer Creek Warriors claimed the District 1-A Championship
with a 34-20 win over a shocked DeSoto squad and supporting fans.
(Above) Deer Creek tailback Tanner Bennett (#44) rushed for 166 yards
Deer
Creek senior tailback Tanner Bennett summed up his feelings after the game
describing the days leading up to Friday night’s contest. “This was the biggest
game I’ve ever played in,” said Bennett. “This was my first win over DeSoto
going all the way back to junior varsity and I knew this would be my last
chance tonight and it’s redemption from all those years of coming up short
against them. I couldn’t sleep last night because I was so excited thinking
about this game.”
In
helping Deer Creek beat DeSoto for the first time since 2003 Bennett did more
than his share. The 6’ 242 lb. senior piled up 166 yards and a touchdown
rushing and had 5 receptions for 85 yards and another score.
Deer
Creek looked eager to send an early message as the Warriors took the opening
kick-off and produced a 16 play drive that burned nearly seven minutes but the
drive would stall as DeSoto held Deer Creek on a fourth down pass that came up
short at the Thunderbird 5 yard line.
DeSoto
looked every bit the second ranked team in Class A as the Thunderbirds
responded with a 95 yard, 6 play drive that took just over one minute off the
game clock. Tailback Carl Pittman plunged in from 2 yards out with 4:15
remaining in the opening quarter to put the finishing touches on the drive.
Rowland Brothers added the PAT to give the Thunderbirds a 7-0 lead.
That
would be DeSoto’s only lead of the night.
Deer
Creek’s defense gave the football back to the Warrior offense in quick fashion
as defensive back Josh Wooley intercepted a Zac Manning second down pass at the
DeSoto 35 yard line with 30 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Nine
seconds later Deer Creek took their first lead of the night as Tanner Bennett
erupted with a 35 yard touchdown run and Wooley added the PAT to give the
Warriors a 14-7 advantage.
After
forcing DeSoto’s offense into a three and out early in the second quarter Deer
Creek set up shop at their own 33 yard line.
Tanner
Bennett promptly broke off a 25 yard run to the DeSoto 42 yard line and 8 plays
later Hobie Hobart connected with Bennett for a 9 yard touchdown strike at the
6:45 mark of the second quarter. Wooley’s PAT extended the Deer Creek lead to
21-7, a lead the Warriors would carry into intermission.
Deer
Creek threatened to blow the game open in the third quarter as the Warriors
took their first possession of the half and marched 80 yards in 7 plays.
Quarterback Hobie Hobart and tailback Tanner Bennett dominated much of the
drive as the two scrambled and ran their way to the DeSoto 6 yard line where
Hobart would muscle his way in for a score with 5:38 left in the quarter.
Wooley’s PAT attempt was blocked but Deer Creek had pushed their lead to 27-7.
DeSoto
grabbed some much needed momentum when linebacker Sam Howe blocked a Stone
Bennett punt and a recovery was made at the Deer Creek 30 yard line with 46
seconds left in the quarter.
(Above) DeSoto quarterback Zac Manning (#7) fights off pressure from the Deer Creek defense
DeSoto
tailback Bradley Harper quickly ripped off 27 yards to the Warrior 3 yard line
and the sophomore cashed in on the next play to cut into the Deer Creek lead. Rowland
Brothers’ PAT trimmed the deficit to 27-14 to close out the third quarter.
DeSoto’s
defense wasted little time in giving possession back to their offense as the
Thunderbirds forced Deer Creek into a three and out but any momentum gained was
dampened when a fumble was recovered by Deer Creek’s Chance Turner at the
Thunderbird 40 yard line with 8:49 remaining in regulation.
The
turnover proved costly for DeSoto as Deer Creek proceeded to plow 40 yards in
12 plays and burned six minutes off the clock to essentially close the door and
lock up the game on a 9 yard Hobie Hobart keeper with 2:50 remaining to extend
the lead to 34-14.
DeSoto
scored on a 43 yard touchdown pass from Zac Manning to Reed St. Columbia with
1:50 remaining but it was too little too late as Deer Creek held on to take a
34-20 win to improve to 8-1 overall and 5-0 in District 1-A play.
In
addition to Tanner Bennett’s 251 yards on offense junior quarterback Hobie
Hobart rushed for 82 yards on 18 carries and 3 touchdowns and went 6/9 for 90
yards and a touchdown.
Carl
Pittman led DeSoto with 128 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown and Bradley
Harper added 95 yards on 13 carries and a score.
Deer
Creek will travel to West Memphis to close out the regular season next Friday
while DeSoto (7-2 & 4-1) goes to Tunica.
“We
have to remain focused and continue to have the same intensity we’ve had all
season,” said Tanner Bennett. “Next week is another big game and we give credit
to all our coaches for keeping us focused and prepared.”
.
Post Game with Deer Creek head coach Murry Rhodes
.
