Todd Lott era at GWHS begins with 15-14 win over Gentry

CUTLINE: An GWHS assistant coach gives a little advice to Demarious Pearson during Friday's 15-14 victory over Gentry.

GREENVILLE – Both Todd Lott and Jerry Walker walked onto Kerg Field Friday night leading their respective football team for the first time in a regular season game.
At 7:30 p.m., they both were excited.
By 10 p.m., only one would be left smiling.
And that was Todd Lott, who led the Hornets to a 15-14 season-opening victory over new Gentry head coach Walker and the Rams.
Despite a late first half mishap and two interceptions, GHWS used a stout running game (110 rushing yards) and a stingy defense to get their first win of the season. The GWHS defense gave up only 71 total yards.
Lott hopes the win will put a spark under a Hornet team who lost to Gentry 27-0 last year.
“It’s important that these kids experience some success. And we’re glad we were able to do that,” said Lott, who for the first time in 20 years wasn’t on the Washington School sideline.
The emphasis for both teams was clearly to run the ball. And run it often.
GWHS had 36 rushing attempts for 110 yards, while Gentry’s stalled run game was held to 27 yards on 18 attempts.
The Hornets got a chunk of that yardage on the opening play of the fourth quarter when fullback Terrell Williams darted through the middle and scampered down the sidelines for a 30-yard touchdown to give GWHS a 15-6 lead.
“I just used my eyes and bounced it to the outside and scored for my teammates,” said Williams, who also added eight tackles (2.5 for losses) while playing linebacker.
The Hornets held a strong nine-point lead early in the fourth quarter; however, the game was still young. Less than five minutes later, Gentry’s Bobby Walker was dancing in the endzone after a touchdown pass from Kemong Crawford. Mississippi State commit Rufus Warren’s stretching two-point conversion catch brought the Rams within one, 15-14, with less than seven minutes to play.
There were several heat timeouts during the 2 ½ hour game, but Gentry players and coaches didn’t heat up until late in the fourth quarter when Gentry’s 6-foot-3, 285 pound lineman Orlando Martin was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for standing over GWHS running back Donald Jackson after a hard hit. The hit cost the Rams 15 yards and the game.
Gentry players and coaches were visibly heated as they watched the clock tick down to the final seconds due to the call.
Despite how the game ended, Walker said his team played their heart out.
“I think our kids showed some resolve tonight,” said Walker, who coached his first game regular season game at Gentry since leaving his alma mater, Ray Brooks. “That’s one thing we were hoping to do coming into the game – see how well they would handle adversity.”
The Hornets got their first touchdown of the season in the second quarter when quarterback Willie Mosby found a streaking Jimmy Goodman for a 46-yard score. Afterwards, Mosby scored on the two-point conversion, giving the Hornets an 8-0 lead. GWHS would’ve went into halftime with the same lead, but a late second quarter Mosby interception led to a 39-yard touchdown catch by the 6-foot-5 MSU commit Warren.
The Hornets’ sprits took a hit, but not for long.
GWHS’s shifty receiver Demarious Pearson had two catches for 18 yards and had an interception while playing cornerback. Curtis Carter also had an interception.
Mosby finished 5-for-16 for 92 yards and a touchdown to go along with two interceptions.
GWHS will be at home again Friday to take on Clarksdale at 7:30 p.m.