WILD ONE IN OVERTON | Furlow scores 4 TDs, kicks extra points as Mustangs win a crazy one, 61-44, over Hawkins
EDITOR’S NOTE: Pictures coming from this game from the great Ronnie Sartors.
OVERTON – A game of big – make that huge – plays here Thursday night saw Overton build a big lead over Hawkins, fall behind, then build it right back.
Oh, and get a win, a 61-44 win with a ton of great performances, really from both teams.
Overton quarterback Brody Davis threw for over 360 yards; receiver Jacob Osburn caught about half that, and a score; Justin Weir had two interceptions defensively for the Mustangs; and Jackson Furlow? Someone needed to check to make sure he wasn’t taking tickets and working in the concession stand, because he did everything else: four catches for 118 yards and a touchdown; a kickoff return for a touchdown; two rushing touchdowns; and Overton’s extra points.
On the other side, Hawkins quarterback Eli Smith through for just under 200 yards and three scores; teammate Eli Snyder had 87 yards of receiving and an interception return for a touchdown; and running back Robert Williams ran for 105 yards and a score.
Overton is now 3-1, the only loss coming at Carlisle last week, and visits Alto next Saturday, Sept. 26 at 1 p.m.
Hawkins is also 3-1, and the Hawks were unbeaten coming into Thursday night’s game at Coach Chester Roy Stadium. They’ll host Cayuga next Friday night.
Early-on, the Hawks were having problems with Overton’s front seven.
Elijah Dorsey made a big tackle on third down to force Hawkins into a decision on fourth-and-short, namely fourth-and-2, early. Hawkins got the first down on a running play, at their own 45.
Levi Allred sacked the quarterback, knocking the ball out in the process. Allred’s teammate, Cannon Cox, was right there, johnny-on-the-spot, and picked up a fumble on a sack. Cox raced into the end zone from midfield for the first score of the game, with 9:49 left in the first quarter.
Hawkins had a third-and-3 at Overton’s 43 on its next possession, was stuffed by the Mustangs’ defense. A play later, though, on fourth-and-short once again, Overton was flagged for a facemask. That put Hawkins in business at the OHS 14.
Hawkins QB Eli Smith connected with Brody Warren for the 14-yard touchdown. The extra point was missed, leaving Overton in front, 7-6, with 8:06 left in the opening quarter.
Overton came right back, quickly: Overton quarterback Brooks Davis hit Jacob Osburn for what looked to be a short gain in traffic.
Osburn had other ideas.
In a crowd at first, Osburn turned on the speed, got out of the traffic, and raced down the Mustangs’ sideline for a 78-yard score. Jackson Furlow’s extra point was good and with just over seven minutes left, OHS led 14-6.
An onside kick took a bit of a hard bounce, going too high for really anyone to field it. The end result was that the Hawks took over at their own 48 – midfield again.
A quarterback keeper lost a yard, courtesy of Overton’s Kash Holleman. Hawkins lost 5 more on a false start penalty, and fell into second and 16 at the 41.
Quarterback Smith broke free for a run to get the Hawks back to respectability (third and 10), near midfield.
Smith was thrown for a loss by Overton’s Kipton Wyer, all the way back to Hawkins’ 35.
That’s where Overton took over. But the Hawks finally made a big defensive play of their own: a sack of Davis back to the 40, putting the Mustangs in second and 15.
Davis faked a handoff to Gabe Miller and threw it to Carmelo Bryant, who got almost all of it back. On a third and 2, Osburn looked to have caught the ball, but officials ruled it one-hopped off the ground.
The Mustangs had fourth and 2 inside Hawkins’ 30. Miller broke free for a run down to the 21, good for a first down, as the quarter rapidly ran down.
Davis was sacked on third down, putting Overton in fourth down at the 19. Bryant caught a wide receiver screen, and didn’t score. He took care of that on the next play, an 11-yard pass from Davis with 2:48 left in the first. Furlow’s extra point put the Mustangs up by 14, 21-6.
The quarter ended with Hawkins driving into Overton territory, with the same score (21-6 Overton).
A pass to Eli Snyder got Hawkins inside the Mustangs’ 10-yard-line. Smith tried to complete a pass to the end zone, but someone along the defensive front batted the ball down.
Smith scooted into the end zone on the next play, getting the Hawks closer (21-12), although the two-point conversion failed.
Overton’s offense was just amazing in the first half. Davis, at the trigger of that wide-open passing game, found Furlow – wide open – and Furlow didn’t let anyone get close. He scored on a 66-yard play, with 9:36 left in the half. The point after was missed, but left coach Laymance’s Mustangs in front, 27-12.
Incredibly, Overton scored another defensive touchdown on a sack-fumble. A host of Overton defensive players bull-rushed Smith, and the ball came out. Overton’s Derrington Kennedy returned the fumble about 32 yards for the score. Furlow, with 8:35 left in the half, hit the point after and Overton was up 34-12.
A long scramble by Smith all the way down to Overton’s 13, a 22-yard run, allowed the Hawks some life with under five minutes left.
A throw to Snyder in the end zone was incomplete, courtesy of coverage by Overton’s Bryant.
But Springer Crouch scored on a 2-yard run for the Hawks with 1:52 left in the half. The Hawks went for two and got nothing: Smith caught the pass out in the flat, but was wrapped up by Overton players and couldn’t get into the end zone. Hawkins trailed 34-18 at that point.
On Overton’s next drive, Davis had a backwards pass to Miller, who took it for about 16 yards to the 49 of the Hawks.
Xamarcus Clay intercepted Davis, though, later in the drive, and gave the Hawks the ball back with 1:07 left in the first half. Hawkins ended up beginning the drive at midfield, again, and Smith to Snyder for 17 yards put the Hawks at Overton’s 30.
Smith managed a shovel pass to receiver Riggin Smith to the Overton 9 with 36 seconds left, and the Hawks would score on a pass across the middle to Crouch with 23 seconds in the half. The Hawks again failed on the conversion attempt, but at the half, they were still very much in the game (34-24 Overton).
Furlow caught a deep pass rom Davis, with Davis in the end zone, all the way to the Hawks’ 45.
Two plays later, Davis tried to hit Osburn in the end zone, and that didn’t work, but a throw on the next play secured a first down, another series of downs the Mustangs.
Anthony Howard of Hawkins picked up the ball on a deep throw, and then Williams scored for Hawkins on a 29-yard run. It was the third straight TD scored by the Hawks, this one with 7:04 left in the third quarter. This time, Smith, the quarterback, got in for the two point conversion and Overton’s big lead had evaporated. The Mustangs were still in front, but only 34-32.
Things would get worse for Overton. The Hawks somewhat surprised Overton with an onside kick that they recovered. Howard, of all people, got the recovery near midfield.
It appeared Overton had an interception on a deep ball, but the back judge ruled the ball hit the ground.
The Hawks took the lead a pass from Smith to Trevin Tanner with 3:58 left in the third quarter. The conversion failed, but the Hawks were in front, 38-34.
It didn’t last long. Davis hit Bryant for a 25-yard pass play with 2:12 left in the third, and Furlow’s point after gave the Mustangs back the advantage by three (41-38).
The back-and-forth continued, Smith completing to Snyder downfield on the Hawks’ next possession, all the way to Overton’s 7.
That ended the third quarter, 41-38 Mustangs.
Overton’s defense managed a goal line stand, not allowing the Hawks to score in four downs inside the Mustangs’ 5 – but then Snyder picked off a deep Davis pass, almost like a punt, and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown.
Hawkins had the lead again, 44-41, with 10:43 left.
And they led for exactly 15 seconds.
Furlow fielded the kickoff, found a hole, got free down Hawkins’ sideline, and scored, an 80-yard touchdown. Then, he kicked his own extra point, putting the Mustangs back in front by four, 48-44.
Justin Weir picked off a deep throw by Smith to give the Mustangs the ball back with 8:13 left.
Overton was backed up against its own goal line after an illegal block penalty on the interception return, starting around its own 10.
Osburn caught a pass for a first down, a new set of downs, then caught a 29-yard pass, deep in Hawkins territory. Miller broke free for a first-down run to the Hawks’ 9, and two plays later, taking a direct snap, Furlow scored on a 3-yard run.
With 5:23 left, Furlow’s point after was blocked, but still Overton led 54-44.
Four minutes left, Furlow duplicated that feat, a second 3-yard score, with 1:56 left. He hit the extra point, and gave his team the 61-44 advantage, the eventual final score.
Quick figuring: Davis went 15-of-26 for 368 yards, threw four touchdown passes, and three interceptions.
Furlow had four catches for 118 yards and a touchdown, ran a kickoff back 80, 81 yards for a touchdown; and ran for two 3-yard touchdowns.
Weir had two interceptions; Osburn finished with six catches for 166 yards and the score.