Bucs keelhaul Hawks By RUSH WOOD , The Enterprise

[Guest ECBucFan]

Bucs keelhaul Hawks    By RUSH WOOD , The Enterprise  

WINNIE - For Donte Raymond, it was a breakout performance of huge proportions.

For Hardin-Jefferson's football team, it was simply a breakdown of a game.

Raymond rushed for 225 yards and three touchdowns Friday night and scored another TD on a reception as East Chambers cruised to a 49-10 victory over Hardin-Jefferson.

Meanwhile, H-J's Hawks, who entered the game with a 2-0 record, broke down by committing eight turnovers and generating very little offense over the first three quarters. That's right, the Hawks lost five fumbles and threw three interceptions, and five of their turnovers led directly to Buccaneer scores.

"It was a pretty sloppy game overall at times, especially early," said Tony Valastro, East Chambers' head coach. "We settled down offensively later in the game."

Indeed, the 4-0 Bucs did. Raymond caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Tramain Thomas midway in the second quarter and added an 8-yard TD run 37 seconds before halftime to make the score 28-0.

Raymond and Thomas shared the EC rushing lead at halftime with 81 yards each, but Raymond then really went to work. On his first two touches of the third quarter, the 180-pound junior broke TD gallops of 50 and 80 yards, much to the delight of the green-clad Buccaneer Stadium crowd.

"Donte ran the ball well and made some big plays," said Valastro. "His catch on the screen pass was sensational. That's what we have to have to be a successful team down the road.

"We can't just sit back and expect to rely on Tramain to carry the offensive load for us game-in and game-out. We have to have other people step up and take charge, and that's what Donte did tonight."

In addition to his 225 rushing yards, Raymond had three catches for 45 yards, and he made one the Bucs' five fumble recoveries. Outside linebacker Justin Hallmark recovered two fumbles, and Alfredo Velazques and Michael Myers had one each.

Thomas, who did not carry the ball in the second half, ran 3 yards for the Bucs' first touchdown, and he also threw 14 yards to Vance McDonald for their second. Thomas completed 8-of-14 passes for 106 yards, and he had two of the Bucs' three interceptions.

The Bucs wound up with 348 rushing yards and 475 total yards, and they accumulated 22 first downs.

The Hawks managed negative 4 yards on 15 first-half plays, and they had a net of 25 yards after three quarters, when they trailed 49-0.

Backup running back Anthony Ortiz scored EC's final TD on a 5-yard run with 51 seconds remaining the third quarter.

Sophomore Jacoby Turner saved the Hawks a shutout by breaking a 79 yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter, and he set up a Stuart Flowers field goal with a 31-yard scamper. Turner finished with 122 yards on 11 carries, and the Hawks wound up with 149 total yards.

Flowers' 30-yard field goal came on the game's final play.

[SteelerCzy]

Great job Bucs, as if your team wasn't already tough enough to defend now with Raymond stepping up and playing well, it's down right illegal.

[Guest ndn09]

Great job Bucs keep it up.