HENDERSON WHIPS GAINESVILLE | Scores 56 first-half points

KAUFMAN – Leopards have not done well against lions this season.

And Henderson, four games into Ricky Meeks’ coaching tenure, looks like a dangerous, dangerous football team.

Henderson played game two of its neutral-site series against Gainesville, this time here at Kaufman’s Homer Norville Field, on Thursday night, and the Lions left no doubt.

Henderson capitalized on big play after big play, after big play in the first quarter, got two punt returns for touchdowns by Lemarion Coleman, a huge game from running back Jesstin “Meaty” Starling and the entire defense, and beat Gainesville’s Leopards, 56-7.

Henderson (3-1) has finished its non-district schedule, and will open District 9-4A, Division I play next Friday night at Palestine. Palestine (currently 0-3) plays at Marshall Friday night.

At Kaufman Thursday night against Gainesville, the entire second half was a running clock – Henderson led 56-0 at the half, their second blowout of a team whose mascot are leopards this season (Henderson pounded Liberty-Eylau, 52-13, back in week two on Sept. 5.

A surprise onside kick gone bad by Gainesville to open the game was recovered by Henderson at the Lions’ own 45 by Trey Sanders, and on the very first play from scrimmage, Gainesville jumped offside. It was a free play for quarterback Vince Howard, who immediately found a wide-open – and folks, when I say “wide open,” I mean there was NO ONE WITHIN 30 YARDS of him – Amauri Murphy running down the Henderson sideline.

Murphy went in on the game’s very first play, a 55-yard pass, and Ivan Navarro kicked his first extra point of the night – 7-0 Henderson.

After a sack by Mike Russell, Gainesville was buried at its own 21-yard-line, and punted – and unfortunately for them, Lemarion Coleman snagged it and returned it all the way back, a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown, and on two touches of the football, the Lions led 14-0.

The Lions’ defense forced another three-and-out, and a good punt put Henderson back at its own 20.

Well, that didn’t work, either.

Five plays later – four of it, runs by Jesstin “Meaty” Starling – and Henderson was standing in the end zone again, a 6-yard run by Starling the final play. And with 6:57 left in the first, Henderson trotted Navarro back out for another extra point, which he hit. And Henderson led 21-0.

Guys, it would get MUCH worse for Gainesville – like in the first quarter.

After another defensive stop, the Leopards punted again, back to Coleman – who returned THIS one for a touchdown, too, a 79-yard punt for a score. Navarro, a busy man, came out for his fourth extra point of the night. It split the goalposts perfectly, and Henderson – still in the first quarter – led 28-0.

And they’d get one more before the quarter was up. Gainesville’s third punt of the game set Henderson up with a first down at its own 38, but Starling broke through a crowd of Gainesville defensive players and his own Lions’ teammates for a 62-yard score and, after Navarro went 5-for-5, a 35-0 Lions’ advantage still in the first quarter.

Henderson had ran eight plays at this point – seven of them went for either a first down or a score.

The Lions scored early in the second quarter, as well, a 1-yard run by Starling – his third of the night – with 9:51 left. Navarro’s point after made it 42-0 Henderson.

Gainesville couldn’t get out of the half without Henderson scoring not once more, but twice. Jayden Bishop gave Starling a break, and scored on a 17-yard run (49-0) with 4:16 left in the half, and then Blake Meeks came on for Howard, and connected with Macen Jones for a 19-yard touchdown pass.

With Navarro coming out one more time – his eighth extra point – the Lions went to the half up 56-0.

Gainesville took away the hopes for a shutout when they scored on a 47-yard pass play from Payton Mathews to Bugg Kemp. The extra point was hit, and Gainesville trailed 56-7 with 3:47 left in the third quarter – a running clock in the second half, by the way.

The Leopards tried an onside kick once again, and it scooted through the legs of everyone, and out of bounds. Henderson started its possession at its own 46, and because of the running clock, the third quarter was almost over by the time the Lions came out for the drive.

As it worked out, neither team would score again – the entire game, including halftime, finished in two hours and five minutes.

In two games against Gainesville in two seasons (last year’s was at Commerce), Henderson outscored Gainesville 118-13.