Weaver rolls past Ohatchee

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: May 15, 2015

[corner-ad id=1]Bearcats’ defense sets the tone before Hubbard, offense take over

Ohatchee’s Austin Tucker (3) fends off a Weaver defender. On the cover, Weaver’s Malik Arnold celebrates scoring the game’s first touchdown. Below, Ohatchee quarterback Taylor Eubanks loses the handle in a pileup. (Photos by Greg McWilliams)

By Brant Locklier
For East Alabama Sports Today

JACKSONVILLE — It took one play for the Weaver Bearcats to get on the scoreboard Friday night and they just kept right on rolling as they defeated Ohatchee 40-14 in the second game of the night’s Calhoun County Spring Jamboree doubleheader.

It was the defense that scored on the first play of the game as Malik Arnold ripped the ball out Ohatchee running back Austin Tucker’s hands and took it 36 yards for a touchdown. Riley Benavides added the PAT for a 7-0 Weaver lead.

Ohatchee moved the ball well in the rest of the quarter, but couldn’t get on the board as they were stopped at the 4 and the 30. Tucker broke off a 30-yard run and Indians quarterback Taylor Eubanks hooked up on a couple of passes to Micah Lee, but the Bearcats stood their ground.

“We made some mistakes early that we need to correct and had too many personal fouls and we just shot ourselves in the foot,” Weaver coach Daryl Hamby said. “(But) I just love the way that this team competes. They bring it every day to practice. These guys are fun to coach.”

Weaver quarterback Paul Hubbard began to settle in early in the second quarter as he completed a 36-yard pass to Arnold and then sprinted 30 yards for a touchdown to put the Bearcats up 13-0.

Eubanks threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Blayde Crump and Tucker scored the two-point conversion to cut the Indians’ deficit to 13-8 with 5:30 left in the first half. But Weaver stormed back down the field and Hubbard connected with Cody Ortiz for a 14-yard touchdown pass and the Bearcats held a 20-8 halftime lead.

Hubbard connected with Dalton Hamby on a 15-yard scoring pass early in the second half to extend the lead to 27-8. Ohatchee fought back with another solid drive and made it 27-14 when Eubanks hit Tucker with a touchdown pass.

Hubbard threw for 127 yards and two touchdowns and rushed nine times for 60 yards.

“Paul is getting better and better,” Hamby said. “He is throwing the ball much better this year. He has a very bright future.”

Andrew Roberts and Grayson Alward scored Weaver’s final two touchdowns.