Big plays spark Wildcats’ defense vs. Wolves
El Dorado’s defense recorded five turnovers Friday in its 35-13 win over Lake Hamilton at Memorial Stadium. The Wildcats got through its three-week gauntlet of power rushing teams and stands at 4-0 with Greenwood’s wideopen spread offense looming.
The Wolves rushed for 226 yards on 38 attempts. Lake Hamilton had rushes for 67, 45 and 28 yards, which accounted for 140 of the ground attack. The Wildcats held Lake Hamilton to just 90 yards through the air on 9-of-19 attempts with the three interceptions.
Tyrek Rucks led the team with 12 tackles, including eight unassisted, with two tackles for losses, one pass breakup and one fumble recovery. MonTrae Marshall had 12 tackles, including six solos. Bishop Foster had eight tackles with an interception. Donovan Walter had six tackles with two hurries and one fumble recovery.
Duke Miller had four tackles, two tackles for losses, one sack and a hurry. Jerric Jefferson had five tackles with a sack and two hurries. Keontae Barnes had seven tackles and two pass breakups. Gavin Heustis had five tackles and a hurry. Kameron Buie had two interceptions.
Lake Hamilton proved tough to beat, as usual. The Wildcats led 28-13 with the Wolves knocking at the goalline to trim the deficit to one possession. On second-andgoal from the 1-yard line, Lake Hamilton rushed to the line
with running back Jacob Nichols lining up at quarterback.
On a quick snap, the interior of El Dorado’s defense shut down the play with the ball squirting out of the pile. The Wildcats’ Donovan Walter picked up the fumble and rambled 95 yards before being dragged down at the Wolves’ 5. Alex Hicks scored three plays later to put the game on ice.
“That was very big, a very big play,” said El Dorado defensive coordinator Justin Wylie. “Jerric Jefferson and Marcus Cole lined up at shades on the center and pushed the center back into the quarterback and knocked the ball out. That’s what happened. Those two guys stoned the center and it messed up the whole snap-exchange. The quarterback didn’t get the ball. It wasn’t the quarterback, anyway, it was the running back. It was the heavy package they had in there. He ran up there real quick and they came off the ball. Marcus and Jerric came off the ball and hit the center and messed up their exchange and the ball just popped up and was laying there on the ground. Donovan was laying on the ground. He realized it was on the ground and he got his body up and picked the ball up. If he recovers it with his knees on the ground, it’s dead right there. The ball was laying on the ground. He picks his body up and then picked the ball up.”
Junior punter Derek Jobe did his part, averaging 49 yards on four booming kicks. Jobe had a 50 yarder that was returned to the Lake Hamilton 33, two 48-yard touchbacks and another 50-yard bomb that was downed at the 30.
“Derek Jobe did a wonderful job. Not only is he kicking it far, the hang time on it is incredible. He’s kicking booming punts and that really helps the defense out because he’s flipping the field. There wasn’t one time when, after a punt, we were in bad field position.”