By Jim Plott

The Wetumpka Herald

 

HOLTVILLE — A Colton Campbell interception with less than two minutes left sealed the deal for Holtville for its first win of the season with a 28-24 victory over Dallas County at Boykin Field Friday night.

Campbell waited patiently at the Holtville 4-yard line to steal the Hornet desperation pass, and the Bulldogs were able to run out the clock.

“It’s the greatest feeling I’ve ever had,” said first-year head coach Hunter Adams. “I feel like the monkey is off my back for right now.”

But the homecoming victory that was almost wasn’t.

Holtville scored on the first possession of the game on a 15-yard run by Jacquille Ellis with less than two minutes gone by in the game.

From there the Hornets (2-5) ran up 24 points before the Bulldogs could respond. Dallas County cut into Holtville’s lead with 6:07 left in the first quarter when Xavier Knight scored on an 80-yard run. The all-important point after attempt was no good, so the Hornets trailed 7-6.

Dallas County running back Demarius Berry gave the Hornets their first lead of the night with less than 10 minutes left in the first half on a 10-yard run.

Berry’s run capped an 11-play, 74-yard drive to give Dallas County a 12-7 advantage.

Martavious Carter’s 31-yard interception return for a touchdown added to the Hornet lead with 4:43 left before intermission.

Then Dallas County seemingly put the game on ice with another score with 9:22 left in the third for a 24-7 lead.

Wyatt Sanders found Jamarius Barnett on a 41-yard bomb to cap a five-play, 64-yard drive.

And then the Bulldogs mounted their comeback.

Midway through the third quarter, quarterback Hayden Lott connected to Tekel Bozeman for a 27-yard touchdown pass to cut Dallas County’s lead to 24-14 with 7:10 left.

Then a bad snap on a Hornet punt put Holtville back in scoring position at the Dallas County 14-yard line.

The Bulldogs needed just two plays to reach paydirt with Jamal Kendrick capping the drive on a 10-yard run.

A Lott interception at the Holtville 32-yard line inspired the Bulldogs to take the lead.

But they did it without Lott at the helm when he went down with an injury. Five plays in, Ellis scored the eventual game-winning touchdown on a 13-yard run.

Ellis appeared to have scored a play earlier, but fumbled.

However an inadvertent whistle made the teams replay the down.