The Hive Sports

by James Tate

These rival schools are separated by three miles, and this game is close, no matter their records. The Lancers entered the game with a 0-6 overall record, and the Darts came in with a 6-1 record. Last season, the Darts won in the final seconds 26-23 on a 49-yard field goal.

This game saw the underdog Lancers hold a 21-17 lead with six minutes left. The Darts pulled out a tough win with an impressive drive and a game-clinching interception that led to a touchdown. The Lancers used a great game plan of running the ball to control the clock and not give the Darts many possessions to score.

First quarter

The Darts would find success early with sophomore quarterback Tradon Bessinger using his speed to escape the Lancer’s pass rush and scramble for big yards. Bessinger scrambled for a 40-yard run on the Dart’s opening drive of the game. His big run and a fourth down conversion pass completion to Sparrow set up his 6-yard touchdown run at the 7:20 mark of the first quarter to give the Darts an early 7-0 lead.

The Lancers would drive the field on their opening offensive possession and respond with a touchdown. The key to the drive was a recovered onside kick attempt by the Darts, and the Lancers had excellent field position near mid-field. Junior Ryan Wensel scored on a run up the middle from the one-yard line to tie the score 7-7. Wensel’s score came with 2:11 left in the first quarter.

Wensel became the leading ball carrier for the Lancers because starting running back and Region 1 leading rusher Porter Cannon was out with an injury. Wensel was the Lancers starting kicker as a sophomore and has shown his versatility by moving to the offensive side of the ball and has played time on defense. The first quarter ended with the score tied 7-7.

Darts take control in the second quarter

The Dart’s offense would find success with senior running back Owen Talbot gaining yards on the ground and Bessinger finding freshman wide receiver Bode Sparrow in the passing game. Talbot scored the Dart’s second touchdown on a 1-yard run at the 7:14 mark of the second quarter. The Dart’s lead now stood at 14-7.

The Lancers ball control offense would try and take a shot on deep passes as Sargent would look to speedy sophomore receiver Teyion Halbasch. Sargent and Halbasch could not connect on the passes, which could have turned the game in the Lancer’s favor.

The Lancer’s opportunity to make the game closer came when Sargent found a lineman on a tackle-eligible play. The play would have resulted in a first down deep in Dart territory, but a penalty negated the play. The Lancers then would try a long field goal attempt, but senior Tayler Egbert’s try was short.

Lancer’s offense dominate the third quarter

The Lancers took the second half’s opening kickoff and kept the ball for 9:12. The long drive ended with Sargent finding Jaxon Smith wide open in the end zone for a 2-yard passing touchdown. Running behind the offensive line of seniors Issac Vimahi, Tyler Crostin, and Braiden Moon, juniors Ethan Sweet and Carsin Testi, Wensel picked up yards to keep the offense moving.

A key play on the drive was a successful fake punt on fourth down that kept the ball in the Lancer’s possession. During the drive, Sargent also completed a 20-yard pass to Smith, putting the ball inside the Darts 20-yard line. With 2:38 left in the third quarter, the Lancers touchdown scored 17-14 in favor of the Darts.

With the momentum on the Lancer’s side, the Darts wanted to respond on their next possession, but a costly turnover halted the drive. Lancers’ junior linebacker Jefferson Hunt sacked Bessinger and stripped the ball from him, and the Lancers recovered inside the Davis 20-yard line.

photo of Darts running back Owen Talbot

Dart’s close-out game in the fourth quarter

The fourth quarter scoring started with Wensel’s touchdown from the 1-yard line with 11:19 on the clock. The touchdown gave the Lancers the lead at 21-17. With a region championship on the line, the Darts played with urgency as Bessinger led them downfield. Tough running by Talbot, senior running back Brighton Pierce, and Bessinger passes to Sparrow.

The Dart’s drive made it into deep Lancer territory, and Bessinger found Sparrow on the left sideline for a 21-yard touchdown pass. The touchdown came with 6:11 remaining in the game and made the score 24-21 in favor of the Darts.

On the Lancers’ next possession, the Darts’ defense pressured Sargent on a pass attempt, and senior linebacker Carter Dorius was in position for a game-clinching interception. The Darts converted the turnover into a 1-yard touchdown run by Talbot with 4:33 remaining in the game. The Darts lead was 31-21 and the defense held up to end the scoring and the game.

Outstanding performances

The Darts used a balanced offense on the night, with 182 rushing yards and 183 passing yards. Talbot was the Dart’s leading rusher with 67 yards and scored two touchdowns. Sparrow was the leading receiver with eight catches for 79 yards and a touchdown.

The game’s biggest defensive plays came from Dorius’ interception, and the prior play was a quarterback sack by sophomore Juni Moala. Besides a fourth-quarter fumble, Bessinger played an outstanding game with his running and pocket presence. Bessinger rushed for 65 yards, a touchdown, passing for 183 yards and another touchdown.

Wensel was outstanding in the game, with 30 carries for 99 yards and two touchdowns. Sargent directed the offense skillfully, keeping the Lancers in excellent position most of the game.

The overall effort by the Lancer team to compete and play hard with several key players missing was outstanding. The Darts showed they can make the plays when the game is on the line, all while dealing with missing key players.

photos courtesy James Tate