RUSKIN — The rain had slowed, the teams had shook hands and Lennard coach Keith Chattin had spoken to his crestfallen kids.
The disappointment of the 32-26 district loss was only just beginning to settle in and eat away at Chattin. As he walked off the field, he slapped his hands together as hard as he could, the loud smack ringing loudly as Longhorn fans applauded their conquered heros after the first loss of the season.
So close. And yet…
“We knew we would give them a game,” Chattin said. “We weren’t worried about that, we don’t care what the prognosticators say. But we fumbled four times. We left 14 points off the board in the first half. We win going away if we don’t fumble away the football.”
Dwayne Lawson didn’t fumble the football. Instead, he made magic with it, as the Hillsborough quarterback scored three rushing touchdowns, two of them of the spectacular variety, to keep the Terriers (3-1, 2-1) in the driver’s seat for the 6A-8 district runnerup playoff spot.
Lawson saved his best work for last — and may have saved his team’s season in the process.
With Hillsborough leading 18-14 early in the fourth quarter, Lennard running back Josh Shelman spearheaded a 15-play drive that ended on a fumbled pass reception. Though it looked like receiver Diontae Johnson may have been down, he lost the ball as he rolled over and Hillsborough recovered on its own 6.
Lawson then ran for 8 and 6 yards, completed three straight passes to get the ball to midfield, and carried the ball on the last three plays covering 42 yards, running over one defender and carrying two others into the end zone on a 5-yard touchdown to make it 25-14.
“That was a big deal there. It really was,” Hillsborough coach Earl Garcia said. “This was a game we needed to win, somehow. Had to win somehow.”
Lawson ran six times for 51 yards and was 4-for-4 for 55 yards on the drive.
“He’s just a player,” Chattin said. “That’s what they expect out of him. He’s their offense. He just makes plays. That’s why he’s going to Miami.”
Lennard (4-1, 3-1) answered in one play, a 43-yard touchdown pass to from freshman quarterback Devin Blake to Johnson, but
Lawson completed a 23-yard pass to Rudy Dawson followed by a quick hitch to Xavier Byrd who raced 41 yards down the far sideline for a touchdown with 5:02 left.
The Longhorns scored again with a minute left, but could not recover the onsides kick.
“First of all, let me say this: Lennard played their butts off, they should be proud of themselves,” Garcia said. “And I’m proud of my team, too.
“We had 18 kids miss practice Monday with the flu, 13 on Tuesday, 11 on Wednesday, our left tackle is still in the hospital, we lose (Michael) Duclos to an injury. I’m real proud of my kids.”
Stars of the game
Josh Shelman, Lennard RB: Ran for all the tough yards, carrying the ball 28 times for 140 yards and three touchdowns.
Diontae Johnson, Lennard ATH: The Longhorn playmaker had four big catches for 111 yards, including a touchdown.
Azeez Al-Shaair, Hillsborough LB: Recovered two critical Lennard fumbles in the first half that allowed the Terriers to put the Longhorns in a hole.