HAYDEN 34, WEST POINT 23: Wildcats stay in playoff contention

Published 1:03 am Saturday, October 9, 2010

Hayden (2-3, 3-4) took a step closer to the playoffs with a 34-23 win over West Point.

Hayden opened the scoring late in the first quarter when senior running back Isaac Veitch ran in from seven yards out with 4:16 on the first quarter clock.

West Point would tie the score on a 32-yard run by Kyle West with 8:38 left in the half.

Hayden quarterback Corey Ward found Dusty Harrison for 29 yards and a score with 2:33 left in the half. But less than a minute and a half later, West Point would score again when West scored from 18 yards

West Point recovered a Hayden fumble at the 43 yard line with 35.8 seconds on the clock. After a Hayden penalty, the Warriors’ Laney hit a 21-yard field goal with no time remaining in the half to put West Point up 17-15.

Hayden took the second half kickoff and drove 67 yards in 13 plays. Veitch got his second score on a 10 yard run.

Hayden extended the lead to 28-17 when Ward ran in from nine yards 26 seconds on the third quarter clock.

Two and a half minutes later West Point’s quarterback Logan Bates found WR Wesley Smith for 11 yards and a score. The Warriors’ try for two failed with 9:27 to go in the game.

Hayden’s Josh Durante then recovered a West Point fumble. Ward hit Whitt for three yards for the touchdown. The Cats had a 34-23 lead with 3:45 left.

Hayden defensive back Nathan Turley came up with an interception to seal the victory.

“I jumped and got my hands on it and said, ‘Oh yeah I got this one!’” Turley said.