HAYTI WINS BATTLE OF 5-1 TEAMS WITH 14-6 VICTORY OVER RAMS

Scott City's Jordan Comer picked up yardage as Hayti's Ferlando Luster tried to make the tackle in the third quarter Friday at Scott City High School.

By Larry Lewis

SCOTT CITY, Mo. A young and quick Hayti team parlayed a big play from a backup running back into a 14-6 victory over Scott City.

Both teams entered the contest with identical 5-1 records, but Scott City was considered a slight favorite as the No. 9 ranked Class 2A team in the state.

The Rams looked like a ranked team on their initial possession. They went 80 yards in an 18-play drive culminated by a 1-yard Marcus Klund touchdown run. Klund was the workhorse, gaining 50 yards in 12 carries. After a missed extra point kick, Scott City held a 6-0 lead which was the score at the end of the first quarter.

On the final play of the first quarter, Hayti got its first of two interceptions to put itself in good field position at its own 39-yard line. The drive stalled at the Scott City 14 when a fourth-and-five pass fell incomplete.

But that drive seemed to swing momentum to the side of the Indians. The Rams failed to move the ball for the remainder of the first half.

With under two minutes left in the half, the Rams punted to Hayti. The Indians used a nice return by Ortiz Banks and a 15-yard personal foul call to start their drive at the Rams' 31-yard line.

Four plays later with 34 seconds left on the clock, Hayti quarterback Matt Morgan ran a 6-yard keeper into the right corner of the end zone to tie the score at 6-6. The two-point conversion attempt failed.

Early in the third quarter, Scott City mounted a drive that saw them get to the Hayti 5-yard line before self-destructing. A crucial holding call and an incomplete pass forced them to try a 19-yard field goal. The attempt was wide right and, as it turned out, was the last real scoring threat the Rams were able to muster.

The next Hayti possession was an 80-yard drive that ended on a 55-yard touchdown dash by backup running back Demarcus Stewart. Stewart broke around left end, juked a tackler at the Ram 30 and showed excellent speed as he turned on the jets and outran the Scott City defenders to the end zone. A two-point conversion run by Morgan put Hayti ahead 14-6. The run by Stewart was his only carry of the game.

Scott City's last possession of the game ended with an interception by Banks at about the 4-minute mark of the fourth quarter.

Klund led the Rams' ground game with 74 yards on 16 carries.