Portageville upsets Hayti

PORTAGEVILLE - Portageville improved its season record to 5-0 with a game plan that worked to perfection against a very good Hayti squad on Friday night.

In a contest that was even closer than the 20-7 score indicated, the Bulldogs controlled the ball in large chunks of time and managed to keep the ball away from the speed merchants from Hayti.

A very pleased Coach Jim McKay of Portageville couldn't have been happier with his team.

"We were able to keep them hemmed up on defense and we controlled the ball a lot and that was kind of our game plan from the start and our kids did a really good job," he said.

The Bulldogs opened the scoring on a one-yard plunge by Aaron Bidewell with 5:35 left in the opening stanza.

Although they got close to paydirt several times for the remainder of the first half, the Bulldogs were unable to cash in and Hayti continued to hang tough on defense to keep the score close.

"Coach McKay did exactly what we expected him to do and what we game-planned for all week," said Hayti head coach David Gilmore. "He has a big physical ball club and he just ran right at us. Sometimes you can overcome speed with good physical hard-nosed football and that's what they did tonight."

The second half began with a costly mistake for the Indians on a fumble on the kickoff. This put the Bulldogs in business on the Indian 46 yard line where three plays later, Antonio Scott scooted in for a 40-yard score. That pushed Portageville's lead to 14-0 with 10:35 remaining in the third quarter.

Hayti's lone score came with 5:49 left in the third quarter when William Moore ran in from the nine on a fourth down play.

Danny Scherer scored the game's final points for Portageville with an interception in the end zone with 1:22 left in the contest.

"We needed this game to find out what we need to fix," said Gilmore. "Our teams will not meet again and I wish his team good luck and I'm glad if I had to lose to anybody it would be to Jim McKay."

The Hayti Indians will travel to Scott City next Friday to take on the Rams at 7:30 while the Bulldogs will tangle with Bruceton in Tennessee.