Hamilton keys Marist 33-14 win over Baylor

Baylor and Marist had settled into a 7-7 title midway through the second quarter in a game between two prominent private schools, and then Marist’s Kyle Hamilton happened.

Hamilton, a Notre Dame commitment, blocked a field-goal attempt and returned it 67 yards for a score late in the first half and then returned the second-half kickoff 99 yards in lifting the Atlanta team to a 33-14 win over Baylor on Friday night at Heywood Stadium.

Hamilton, who plays wide receiver and cornerback and returns kicks, had 210 return yards and two catches for 30 yards. Marist outgained Baylor 258-187, but it was Hamilton’s yards that were the difference in the game.

“The guy killed us with the returns,” said Baylor coach Phil Massey. “It was a tied game and we had forced a turnover, and then we get the field goal blocked. The return to open the second half broke our backs.”

Baylor (1-2) never seemed in the game after Hamilton came right up the middle to block the 43-yard Baylor three-point attempt, picked up the ball and ran away from the Red Raiders. Hamilton’s speed was more evident on the kickoff return when he took the ball at the 1, made a single cut to the right sideline and was gone.

The Red Raiders tied the game at 7 on a 4-yard touchdown run by junior Noah Martin with 6:34 left in the first half. Hamilton’s first return made it 13-7 before Marist scored on a 22-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Conner Cigelski to Matthew Houghton and made it 19-7 at halftime. Hamilton covered 99 yards in 10 seconds to open the second half, and Marist was up 26-7.

Marist (2-0) and Baylor traded touchdowns before Marist began wearing down a tired Baylor defense with punishing runs by Matthew Dunmon, who finished the game with 12 carries for 44 yards. Baylor quarterback Lorenzo White completed 13 of 17 passes for 143 yards

Baylor opens region play next week when the Red Raiders host Ensworth.

Contact Davis Lundy at sports@timesfreepress. com.