Hampton unable to corral Longhorns in Monday night action
Published 10:44 am Tuesday, September 3, 2024
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders Dominique Burleson escapes for extra yardage against the Johnson County defense.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders A Hampton cheerleader flies high as the Bulldogs prepare to take the field at J.C. Campbell Stadium on Monday evening.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders A pack of Bulldogs surrounds Johnson County receiver Luke Worlock after a short pass.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders Johnson County quarterback Jace Stout tries to elude Hampton defender Jaylen Burleson.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders Hampton’s Isaiah Belcher is wrapped up after a short gain.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders Longhorn quarterback Jace Stout tries to escape pressure from Hampton's Isaiah Belcher.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders Longhorn receiver Luke Worlock outjumps Hampton defender Kaden Jones for a reception early in Monday's game.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders Peyton Townsend races toward the end zone as Johnson County defenders begin to close in.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders Hampton running back Dominique Burleson covers up the football as he takes advantage of a running lane.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders Johnson County quarterback Jace Stout releases the football just ahead of a massive Hampton rush.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders Hampton quarterback Maddux Wilson zips the football before a pair of defenders can reach him.
Star Correspondent/Ivan Sanders Hampton's Jayden Kuhn (40) makes a diving attempt at Johnson County's Jonathan Csillag as a Bulldogs defender assists on the stop.
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Star Correspondent
HAMPTON — The Hampton Bulldogs were already behind the eight ball before taking the field on Monday night as they and the Johnson County Longhorns returned to J.C. Campbell Stadium to complete what they started this past Friday when thunderstorms postponed a handful of games.
Trailing 6-0 with 9:33 left in the first quarter as the game resumed, the Bulldogs briefly took the lead, but the Longhorns outmuscled them on both sides of the line to secure a 41-8 victory.
Juan Mejia had put the Longhorns ahead Friday night, carrying five times for 67 yards and a score before the game was halted due to lightning.
Hampton scored their lone touchdown of the night with 3:15 left in the first quarter when a high snap on a Longhorn punt attempt sailed into the end zone, allowing Dominique Burleson to pounce on the ball for a score. Burleson then added the two-point conversion to make it an 8-6 ballgame. The score held until the end of the first quarter.
Starting the second quarter with the ball on Hampton’s 22-yard line, it took just one play for the Longhorns to regain the lead as Jace Stout connected with Jonathan Csillag for a 22-yard touchdown pass. The point-after attempt by Benjamin Connor was no good, but Johnson County was back in front, 12-8.
After forcing Hampton to a three-and-out, Johnson County kept their momentum on a fourth-down attempt when Mejia broke free for a 37-yard run to the Bulldogs’ 7-yard line, finishing the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run with 7:58 remaining in the first half. Stout found Carter Rhudy for the two-point conversion, extending the Longhorns’ lead to 20-8.
A pick-six off a Maddux Wilson pass by Rhudy from Hampton’s 44-yard line pushed the lead to 27-8 after Connor’s successful PAT. The first half ended with the same 27-8 score.
Hampton’s mistakes led to two more Longhorn touchdowns in the second half. Stout had a 28-yard touchdown run with 2:20 left in the third quarter, and later connected with Landell Walker for a 37-yard scoring pass with 7:20 remaining in the game. Connor converted both PAT attempts, bringing the final score to 41-8.
Mejia had an outstanding game, finishing with 177 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Longhorns held Hampton to just 101 yards of total offense. Burleson led the Bulldogs with 81 yards rushing.
Hampton head coach Michael Lunsford acknowledged the challenges of playing a tough schedule with a young, inexperienced team, especially against higher-classification opponents.
“When you are playing with so few seniors, it really makes a difference,” Lunsford said. “We have a lot of kids that are playing in their first varsity action. We knew it was going to be tough in the early part of the season. The first part of our schedule is tough teams, and we are young and inexperienced. We have to get better and get better quick.”
While turnovers contributed to Johnson County’s points, Lunsford emphasized that fundamental issues were a bigger problem.
“The turnovers hurt, but if you don’t block and you don’t tackle, turnovers can be obsolete,” Lunsford said. “We weren’t moving the ball great even when we had the ball on offense. We have to be better blockers and better tacklers, and you have to want to win more than just on game day.”
Hampton will host Pisgah High from North Carolina on Friday, while Johnson County will play host to Claiborne County.
