Howard excels in return to gridiron, explodes in second half for 42-6 win over Cross Creek

After not playing for 27 days, Trey Porter hoped Howard would still have some sharpness from some extra work in practice.

It took a while for that to happen, but the Huskies exploded when it did.

After a middling first half, Howard went off for 35 second-half points en route to a 42-6 romp against Cross Creek at Thompson Stadium in Macon Friday night.

“You can scrimmage in practice, but it’s not the same,” Porter said. “For us to have all those consecutive practices, I thought we would be crisper on offense to start, but you can’t simulate a game.”

The Huskies improved to 4-2 overall and 3-1 in GHSA Region 4-3A, leaving Friday’s win in a tie for second with West Laurens and Baldwin with Harlem a half-game back in the win column.

Quarterback Deon Wellons had a nice night for Howard, completing 11 of 14 passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns. Terrance Brown broke free for 105 yards on eight carries.

The defense held Cross Creek to 54 yards on the ground, the Razorbacks sabotaging themselves with losses of 33 yards on two bad snaps.

Howard picked off two passes, one by Donald Williams in the red zone in the third quarter and another that ended in a 100-yard return for a score in the final 80 seconds by Elijah Johnson.

The Huskies have scored 42 points in their last two games, albeit nearly a month apart. It didn’t look like that was in the cards early in the contest.

Howard went three and out on its first two possessions before Cross Creek converted a nice punt return into good field position and a four-play, 34-yard scoring drive, with quarterback Brandon Wallace firing a 10-yard strike on a slant to Cam Nixon. A bad snap ruined the conversion attempt, but Cross Creek (1-6, 0-5) led with 6:28 left in the first quarter.

The Huskies started on their 7-yardline and moved, picking up 57 when Wellons scrambled and then heaved downfield to a wide open Xavier Simmons, flipping the field in a big way.

But Howard lost nine on fourth down when Nasan Houston, a beast all night, blasted through for a sack. The Razorbacks got a 36-yard pass play to flip the field and get to the Howard 35-yardline only to go backward on a Jaidon Grayer tackle for a loss and a penalty, forcing a punt from their own side of the field.

The Huskies finally got on the board to end a 70-yard drive on a 41-yard pass from Wellons to Deondray Sheffield, who reached out in front of him for a nice catch on a rollout and crossing pattern, cruising through the secondary.

Barock Vocke’s kick made it 7-6 at the 9:47 mark of the second quarter.

The Huskies got a late break when the Razorback went for it on fourth and 2 but lost 17 yards on a bad snap, Howard taking over on Cross Creek’s 38 with 1:31 left.

Not in hurry, the Huskies got a 41-yard pass from Wellons to Sheffield, who couldn’t power through at the 1, which is where Wellons was stopped on the half’s final play.

“Let’s just do what we do,” Porter said of the halftime discussion after the game. “Let’s get in our (diamond) formation they hadn’t seen and let’s run the football. That’s what we did.”

Cross Creek helped by moving Houston to linebacker off the line.

“He was able to chase down backside runs,” Porter said. “Probably their best player on defense.”

That opened some things up.

The momentum from the near score returned with Williams’ pick, at the 5 and returned to the Cross Creek 23. Five plays later, Jacolbie Allen powered in from the 6.

The Razorbacks gave it right back on the kickoff when they tried a reverse and fumbled on Howard’s 26. Terrance Brown went in three plays later from the 26, and it was 21-6 with five minutes left in the third.

Howard followed a nice defensive stand with an eight-play, 72-yard drive that included a 41-yard burst from Brown and a nice leaping catch by Simmons, ending with Allen’s 4-yard score to end the third quarter.

The defense stood up again in the red zone, Howard taking over on the 7. Wellons hooked up with Jaylen Wallace for a perfect 43-yard pass down the right sideline.

A flurry of penalties — an illegal forward pass that went for a touchdown and ensuing unsportsmanlike flag for celebrating was followed by another unsportsmanlike on Porter for arguing about the pass, from Allen to Sheffield — pushing Howard all the way back to its 22.

For a second and 48. No problem. Allen took the lateral again and connected with Wallace for a stunning 61-yard pass play, setting up Wellons to Simmons for a 10-yard score.

“I liked my skill guys on offense,” Porter said. “Our receivers, they haven’t been our greatest unit, up until now. They made some strides.

“Teams have predicated us as being a running offense. If our receivers get rolling, we’re gonna be alright.”