Hornets stand tall in big road win

READING >> Oxford used a strong defense and a blocked punt on its way to a hard-fought 12-7 nonleague football win over Reading Friday night at Shrik Stadium.

The Hornets (4-5) scored a first-quarter touchdown after an interception set them up at the Red Knights’ 4-yard line.

In the second quarter, Oxford linebacker Caleb Spadaro blocked a punt out of the end zone for a safety, and the Hornets added a field goal on the ensuing possession to take a 12-7 lead into the half over the Red Knights (5-4).

That lead would hold up, despite Reading’s advantages in time of possession and offensive yardage.

“Defensive battles aren’t our forte,” said Oxford coach Mike Means. “But tonight, our defense and special teams showed that we can win ugly too.”

Reading used a read-option attack to consistently move the chains, with junior tailback Elijah Williams and freshman quarterback Amier Burdine combining for 199 rushing yards. Williams scored the Red Knights’ lone touchdown on a 2-yard run late in the first quarter.

But the Red Knights couldn’t add any more points, as the Hornets defense repeatedly bent without breaking.

The third quarter featured a combined five possessions with three punts and two turnovers on downs. A key moment came when a 53-yard touchdown run by Williams was negated by a holding penalty.

The Red Knights would drive into Hornet territory a total of four times in the second half, but were unable to reach the end zone.

Oxford’s final defensive stand came with just over two minutes remaining. With Reading facing a fourth-and-1 from its own 39, Williams was

stuffed for no gain, allowing the Hornets to run out the clock and seal the victory.

“We were down a bunch of guys due to injuries,” said Means. “We were playing young guys, but we got a huge effort on defense.”