Hornets crumble in the second half, loses on the road to Harding Academy 59-18

Photo by Michael Hanich
Harmony Grove quarterback Caleb Johnson rushes for extra yardage against Harding Academy.
Photo by Michael Hanich Harmony Grove quarterback Caleb Johnson rushes for extra yardage against Harding Academy.

The Harmony Grove Hornets on Friday were set for another tough road non-conference matchup against a championship-contending team in the Harding Academy Wildcats.

The Hornets had the talent to spark an upset, but to knock off the defending two-time consecutive 3A state champions in the Wildcats, the Hornets needed consistency and a bit of luck.

Despite an attempted comeback through halftime, but a disastrous third quarter killed any momentum for Harmony Grove to come back from. Harding Academy outscored Harmony Grove 28-6 in the third quarter. The Hornets lost to the Wildcats with a final score of 59-18.

Both offenses started off the game slowly as the first two drives for Harding Academy and Harmony Grove came up empty. The Wildcats got on the scoreboard first on a nine-play drive that resulted in a 46-yard field goal from junior Kyle Ferrie, who already has offers from the University of Arkansas and Mississippi State.

The Hornets got the ball back and tried to respond with a score with four and a half minutes left in the first quarter. Harmony Grove found the rhythm to extend the drive down the field, but they could not find the big play to conclude the drive with a score. The Hornets had a 13-play drive starting from their 20-yard line and drove to the Wildcats 24-yard line that resulted in a turnover on downs.

At the beginning of the second quarter, Hornets safety Selwyn Martinez forced a fumble on a quick bubble screen read from Harding Academy. The Hornets quickly got the ball back, but the pressure from the Wildcats' front-seven put too much pressure on Hornets quarterback Caleb Johnson. Despite a first down and some momentum gained, the Hornets encountered another turnover on downs in their fourth drive.

In the following drive for Harding Academy, the Wildcats were able to find some rhythm in the mid-range passing game with their experienced and talented slot receivers. After a 26-yard pass from Wildcats quarterback Kade Smith to wide receiver Jackson Fox, the Wildcats added on another score with an eight-yard run from senior running back Andrew Miller to extend the lead 10-0.

Shortly after a three-and-out from Harmony Grove, the defense for Harmony Grove allowed a big outside run of 46-yards from Miller in a three-play drive. That score by Miller extended the lead for Harding Academy 17-0 with four and a half minutes left in the second quarter.

The Hornets finally found some weaknesses on the outside of Harding Academy's defense in their last drive before halftime. On third down and on their 34-yard line, Johnson was able to get the ball to his reliable receiver in Landon Garrett with a 53-yard pass. On fourth down in the red zone, Johnson was able to get the Hornets on the board with less than a second on the clock. The Hornets cut the Wildcats' lead 17-6 going into halftime.

From the start of the third quarter, the flow of the game completely went in Harding Academy's favor. After a short drive from Harmony Grove to start the third quarter, Johnson had his punt blocked so the Wildcats could recover the ball in the endzone for a touchdown.

With the Wildcats extending their lead to 24-6, Hornets running back Tobias Hicks responded in a big way with an 80-yard run to the outside for a touchdown to cut the lead 24-12.

The Wildcats responded one play later in their next drive with a 76-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Jackson, once again extending their lead 31-12. That touchdown would make it a third touchdown in three consecutive regular plays. In the following play, Harding Academy's defense forced a fumble from Tobias Hicks that resulted in another turnover. From there, Harding Academy added onto their lead with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Miller to extend the lead 38-12.

The Hornets attempted to respond with a long drive, but once again the offensive line crumbled and allowed too much pressure on Johnson. Harmony Grove's drive resulted in another turnover on downs in the red zone. Harmony Grove had a seven-play drive that was helped by two 15-yard penalties from the defense of Harding Academy and came out with no points on the board.

In the following drive, the Hornets' defense allowed a fourth touchdown in the third quarter. The Wildcats extended their lead 45-12 on the Hornets. On the following drive for Harmony Grove, the Hornets took a seven-play drive that resulted in Caleb Johnson throwing his first interception of the game.

In the first play of the fourth quarter, Harding Academy took their nine-play drive and added on another touchdown from Miller for a nine-yard run. One play later, Caleb Johnson forced a pass on the outside where linebacker Bo Cox picked off Johnson for a 20-yard interception returned for a touchdown to extend the lead for Harding Academy 59-12.

In the last drive of the game for Harmony Grove, they took a five-play drive that resulted in an eight-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to sophomore running back Shemar Patterson. That touchdown cut the lead to 59-18. From that point on, Harding Academy ran the clock down for a solid victory over Harmony Grove.

The Hornets had the availability to come back from a 17-6 deficit, but they made too many mistakes in all portions of the game after halftime. Harmony Grove's defense was too late on reading the routes while in zone or man coverage. They were able to get into the backfield to put pressure on the first-year starting quarterback Kade Smith, but the Wildcats utilized a lot of quick play schemes similar to what Fordyce did the week before. Harmony Grove's defense allowed 497 total yards of offensive yards from Harding Academy's 13 total drives.

The defense sacked Smith twice as Hicks was one of the few Hornets that sacked the quarterback in the backfield. Linebacker Daniel Hill accounted for five and a half total tackles and a tackle for loss. Cornerback Landon Garrett accounted for two pass breakups as he made the big plays against the deep passing game.

The offense for Harmony Grove consistently struggled to find a rhythm as the defense of Harding Academy continued to crash into the backfield. Harmony Grove did attack the less experienced portion of the defense of Harding Academy in the secondary, but a combination of dropped passes and pressure in the backfield made it difficult for Harmony Grove to put points on the scoreboard.

The Hornets' offense had two of their drives result in a turnover on downs due to a lack of efficient kicking game. Harding Academy scored three touchdowns off the three turnovers from Harmony Grove in the second half.

The Hornets accumulated 339 total yards on 12 total drives in the game. Johnson threw for 235 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions on 16 completions (out of 38 passing attempts). Several of his passes were dropped, while others forced the team to either try to play or escape the pressure from the Wildcat' defense.

Wide receiver Landon Garrett caught six receptions for 136 yards. Running back Tobias Hicks rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.

After two tough road games, the Harmony Grove Hornets (1-2) will be back at home against their first conference opponent of the season against the Dollarway Cardinals.

Upcoming Events