HAMLET — The next level of Richmond County football kicked off on Wednesday afternoon as the Hamlet Middle School Red Rams played host to the Cordova Cavaliers. Hamlet scored on its first offensive play from scrimmage and never looked back en route to a 36-0 season opening victory.
With the single win, Hamlet has likely already punched its ticket to the championship game. Since the three in-county schools will not play teams from neighboring school systems, the middle school football season will see Hamlet, Cordova, and Rockingham Middle limited to just two regular season games each and an additional championship game for the two top teams to conclude the shortened month long season.
Cordova (0-1) will take next week off, while Hamlet (1-0) will travel to rival Rockingham in what will be the season opener for the Rockets.
“I think it went great,” said Hamlet head coach John Ware of his Red Rams’ performance in the victory. “I think we executed our game plan really well and we look forward to a quick turnaround to play Rockingham at their place next week.”
It did not take long for Hamlet to get on the board. Jayden Hamilton scooped up a squib kick from the Cavaliers and returned it 51 yards to the Cordova 11-yard line. Javian Smith carried it the rest of the way on Hamlet’s first play of the game and Jordan Bostick pushed his way into the end zone on the two-point conversion attempt to give the Red Rams an early 8-0 lead just a minute into the game.
The Cavaliers struggled to get their offense going early. After starting at its own 39-yard line, Cordova lost 11 yards on four plays and turned the ball over on downs at their own 28.
Taking advantage of the short field position, Hamilton scored the first of his three touchdowns of the day when he followed the turnover with back-to-back runs of 19 and 9 yards. The conversion attempt was no good, but the touchdown pushed the Red Rams ahead 14-0 with 2:55 remaining in the first quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, Hamlet’s Billy West booted the ball deep and out of reach of the Cordova return team. The ball came to a stop and was covered up by the Cavaliers at the Cordova 12-yard line. After a couple of first down runs from Cordova RB Kmauri Morgan and QB Davion Ingram moved the ball out to their own 41-yard line, the Cavaliers seemed to have some momentum.
But that momentum shifted back to the Red Rams when Hamilton stripped the ball away from the Cavaliers and took it 42-yards in the opposite direction to paydirt. Hamilton bullied his way into the end zone on the conversion attempt putting his Red Rams ahead 22-0 with 4:25 left in the half.
On Cordova’s next possession, the Cordova offensive line gave Ingram enough time to show off his passing ability. He connected with Morgan on a 51-yard pass and run that put the Cavaliers in business at the Hamlet 30-yard line. But the drive stalled due to penalties and the half came to an end with the Red Rams still ahead by three scores.
Ingram, who finished the game 4-for-9 passing for 80 yards, continued to find some success in the air at the start of the third quarter. He hit Morgan for a 14-yard gain on the first play of the second half and later connected with Braxton Martinez for 12 more. Once gain, the Cavaliers moved the ball into Red Ram territory, but penalties became an issue again and Cordova wound up facing a 4th-and-34 from its own 37-yard line.
Cordova turned the ball over on downs and Hamlet added to their lead quickly. On the first play following the turnover, Bostick went straight up the middle, weaving his way through the Cordova defense for a 37-yard touchdown run. Hamilton carried it in once again on the two-point conversion attempt putting the Rams ahead by 30 and starting the running clock.
Hamilton scored once more on a 2-yard run with 4:02 remaining for the game’s final points.
Despite showing some life offensively in the second half, the Red Rams defense limited Cordova to just 102 offensive yards. That effort combined with an impressive kicking performance from West gave the Red Rams an advantage in the field position battle that the Cavaliers just could not overcome.
Hamilton finished the day with five carries for 34 yards and two touchdowns. He recorded 197 all-purpose yards in the game adding a defensive touchdown and two two-point conversion runs. Also for Hamlet, Bostick added three carries for 74 yards and a touchdown and Smith carried the ball four times for 30 yards and a touchdown.
For Cordova, Morgan had six carries for 28 yards and Ingram carried the ball four times for 26 yards.
