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By Dan Smith

HEADLAND, AL – Charles Henderson High won an important Class 5A, Region 2 battle over Headland Friday on the road, as the Trojan offense never punted and the defense kept the Rams on their heels for a 48-14 victory at JJ Yarborough Stadium on the Homecoming of Headland High.

“That score is not a testament of the offense, that score is a testament to team football, offensively, defensively, special teams, it’s just a total team effort in all three phases to help us win this game,” said CHHS Head Coach Quinn Hambrite.

With the victory, Charles Henderson improves to 4-3 overall and 4-1 in Class 5A, Region 2 competition while Headland slips to 3-5 on the year and 0-5 in region play.

Nemo Williams gave CHHS the first lead of the contest when he darted around the right end for an 8-yard touchdown, with Hendrick Sanchez good for the extra point effort and a 7-0 lead with 3:20 remaining in the first quarter.

Headland answered with a touchdown of their own as Julian Riley scored on a 3-yard effort, but the extra point was blocked and CHHS led 7-6 with 11:50 remaining in the second quarter.

Facing fourth-and-inches at the Headland 5 in the second quarter, Williams this time went to his left for another TD, the kick by Sanchez was good, and it was 14-6 with 9:15 to play in the first half.

Riley scored his second TD of the night for Headland on a 1-yard run, and on the try for two points, Riley ran up the middle to knot the score at 14-14.

CHHS quarterback Kellen Stewart completed two passes of 40 yards and 9 yards to Noah Green, down to the 1, and the sophomore quarterback took it in up the middle for the touchdown and a 21-14 halftime advantage.

The third quarter was scoreless, before senior Antonio Frazier bulled his way in on a 7-yard touchdown carry, and the Sanchez kick made it 28-14.

On the next possession for Headland, Ta’Quary Kelley intercepted a Ram pass and returned it 40 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown and a 34-14 lead with 10:59 to go in the football game.

The Trojans went up 41-14 on another defensive score, as Kam Christian scooped up a Headland fumble at the CHHS 9 yard line and outran everyone 91 yards for a touchdown with 7:10 to play.

Kelley intercepted another Headland pass and returned it to the Headland 40, before Joshua Daniels broke three big runs, the final being a 6-yard touchdown and the 48-14 final.

With one region game remaining next Friday and their final regular season game a week later at Pike Road, Coach Hambrite believes his team needed to execute on both sides of the ball in preparation for the remaining games, and eventually the Class 5A playoffs.

“The offense executed very well, we scored on the first three drives we had in the first half, and we did not punt the entire game,” said Coach Hambrite. “An offense that does not punt, that is a win in itself. Defensively we were swarming around the ball, we got a pick-six and we scored two defensive touchdowns.”

The Trojans are on the road next Friday, October. 25, when they visit the Eufaula Tigers in their final Class 5A, Region 2 battle of the season. The following week, CHHS travels to Pike Road for the final regular season game.