LE ROY — In a game filled with all kinds of offense, Southern Coffey County High’s defense came through when it was needed most.
The Titans, having seen a 14-point lead erased in a span of 2 ½ minutes, regained a 46-40 lead when Turner Anderson scored in a 48-yard run with 4:56 left in the game.
Having already scored 22 points after intermission, visiting Hartford marched down the field and got to the SCC 20-yard line in the waning moments. But five consecutive passes into the end zone — the Jaguars got an extra play because of an SCC penalty — fell incomplete as the Titans came away with a 46-40 win.
The victory lifts Southern Coffey County’s record to 3-1 as the Titans gear up for Kansas Eight Man, District 3 play. Of the six teams in the Titans’ district, five have at least three wins already, according to head coach Korey Lankton.
But first things first.
The game featured a number of wild momentum swings.
The Titans raced to a 20-6 lead behind touchdown runs of one and eight yards by Wes Callahan and 73 yards by Dusty Watts, before Hartford eventually closed the gap to 20-18 early in the third quarter.
Watts , Charlie Patterson and Callahan added touchdowns in the second half, and Lankton thought for a second his team had some breathing room at 40-26.
“Give them credit,” Lankton said. “They came back, and had a lot of momentum. We got out by the skin of our teeth. It was pretty intense.”
Watts wound up with 214 yards on 21 carries, while Callahan rushed 11 times for 102 yards and completed 3 of 7 passes for 43 yards. Anderson had 92 yards on 13 carries. Joseph Witteman had 42 yards on two receptions for the Titans.
Watts also was a monster on defense with 20 tackles and a fumble recovery. Callahan, meanwhile, added 16 tackles. Anderson recovered a Hartford fumble.
Southern Coffey County travels to Marais Des Cygnes Valley next Friday.
SCCH 12-8-14-12—46
Hartford 6-6-14-14—40
SCC — Callahan 1 yd run (PAT failed)
SCC — Watts 73 yd run (PAT failed)
Hartford — Esch 12 yd pass from Kraft (PAT failed)
SCC — Callahan 8 yd run (Wade run)
Hartford — Keys 11 yd fumble return (PAT failed)
Harfford — Wilkerson 9 yd run (PAT failed)
SCC — Watts 20 yd run (PAT failed)
SCC — Patterson 9 yd run (Patterson run)
Hartford — Wilkerson 20 yd pass from Kraft (Keys run)
SCC — Callahan 72 yd run (PAT failed)
Hartford — Wilkerson 3 yd run (PAT failed)
Hartford — Keys 2 yd run (Wilkerson pass from Kraft)
SCC — Anderson 48 yd run (PAT failed)
SCC Hartford
First Downs 12 15
Rushes-yds 52-428 55-155
Passing yds 43 160
Total Offense 471 310
Passing 3-7-0 NA
Fumbles 6 2
Punts-avg NA NA
Penalties-yds 9-85 9-60
Titans hold off the Jaguars
