HUN OFA STAND
Raiders stuff Peddie on final play to win huge prep clash
HIGHTSTOWN >> Suffice it to say the 100th career victory for Hun football coach Todd Smith was unlike any he’s had before and any he will ever have again.
In a game that can truly be described as bizarre, Hun beat Peddie, 21-16, Saturday afternoon after barely surviving what nearly was a miraculous comeback by the Falcons in the final minute.
With the win, Hun improved to 6-1, nailed down its fourth straight Mid-Atlantic Prep League title and — in the most satisfying development of all — avenged last year’s 61-7 drubbing to Peddie that snapped a 28-game winning streak.
“This is the best,” said Smith. “This is absolutely awesome.”
How bizarre was this game held on Hightstown High’s turf because torrential rain made Peddie’s field unplayable?
Consider Peddie took a 9-0 lead in the second quarter when it scored on a fifth down. That’s right, the refs lost count of the downs after calling one of three double personal fouls on each team and this allowed University of Alabama recruit John Metchie to dive into the end zone from two yards out on a play that should have never happened in the first place.
The fact Hun would go onto win the game after this officiating mistake can go in the books as poetic justice.
Also consider Peddie opted to kick off to start the second half into the wind after winning the pre-game toss and kicking off to start the first. Apparently the Peddie thinking was to have the wind at its back in the fourth quarter, but the decision proved to be a total disaster.
“We were surprised to get the ball to start the second half,” said Smith. “I don’t question anything at this point, but if they wanted to hand us the ball again, we were glad to take it.”
Sure enough, given both the ball and the wind, Hun took full advantage by striking right away on a 46yard pass by Logan Clouse to Rutgers-bound tight end Dylan Deveney (6-6, 245).
Three plays later Hun was in the end zone on a four-yard run by University of North Carolina recruit Joshua Henderson and the momentum had turned big time.
Before Peddie could recover, Hun also scored when Malcolm Benson recovered one of many Peddie’s high snaps in the end zone for a touchdown and Henderson (16 carries, 62 yards) bolted in from eight yards out to on the second play of the fourth quarter. Henderson’s second TD came after a Peddie 8-yard punt into the wind that went out of bounds at the Falcon 38 yard line.
Just like that Peddie’s nine-point lead was a 21-9 deficit and when Hun halted a long Falcon drive on downs with 4:24 remaining, it looked like Hun was home. Guess again.
Peddie was the beneficiary of a huge break with 2:19 left when Hun fumbled the ball away on its own 24 yard line on a botched exchange while trying to run out the clock.
After an unsportsmanlike conduct on the same play moved the ball to the Hun 12 yard line, Peddie was able to cash in on a 1-yard sneak by quarterback and West Point recruit Maurice Bellan.
At this point there was just 1:05 remaining and Peddie needed to recover an onsides kick. In keeping with the theme of the day, it did exactly that when Maryln Johnson pounced on a bouncing ball and the Falcons took over at the Hun 45 yard line.
Also in keeping with the theme of the day, it took the refs nearly five minutes to decide if the kick was actually legal.
It was here where the flags continued to fly in a physical and penalty-filled game filled with trash talk and the spectacle of Peddie players arguing with each other on the sideline.
Following a pass interference call and another phantom penalty against the Hun secondary, Bellan completed two passes as Peddie reached the Hun 2 yard line and was just able to spike the ball with a scant
eight seconds showing on the clock.
Peddie might have opted trying to run the ball into the end zone on a short run by standout freshman Patrick Smith (21 carries, 94 yards), but instead elected to have Bellan (19-for-28, 137 yards) drop back.
This decision also backfired as his pass was knocked down short of the end zone and the Hun players then piled on each other in a wild celebration in the middle of the field.
Although this was one showdown that lived up to its billing, not even the most creative of minds could have envisioned this wacky and wild script.
Hun (6-1) 0 0 15 6 — 21
Peddie (5-3) 2 7 0 7 — 16
P-Safety, punt snap out of end zone P-Metchie 2 run (Harney kick) H-Henderson 4 run (Henderson run) H-Brunson recovers high snap in end zone (Kasper kick)
H-Henderson 2 run (kick failed)
P-Bellan 1 run (Harney kick)