In a game where points were at a premium, Tyler Hiatt took it upon himself to supply the spark.
The Smith-Cotton senior defensive end intercepted a pass and returned it for the first touchdown of the game, anchoring a four-takeaway effort by the Tigers defense in a 16-0 homecoming victory over Capital City on Friday, Oct. 9, at Jennie Jaynes Stadium.
“It really shifted the momentum for us,” S-C head coach Mike Franklin said of Hiatt’s third-quarter pick six. “It really kind of gave us a little edge and gave us a bigger lead. I was a little nervous going into halftime only being up 3-0, so that second-half score really helped fire the team up.”
The first half featured a combined six punts, two turnovers on downs, two blocked kicks and one fumble.
Still, both teams saw opportunities to punch in an early lead.
Capital City (1-6, 1-5 CMAC) initially took a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter, but took the points off the board to accept a penalty on Smith-Cotton (3-4, 3-3 CMAC) and chase a first down — only for senior Rylon Curry to stuff a run on fourth down.
S-C had a big play negated when junior Asher Cason had a punt return for a touchdown called back by a flag for running into the kicker.
The only official points of the first half arrived via a 30-yard field goal by junior Karson Wiskur with 4:47 remaining in the second quarter.
Trailing 3-0 at the start of the second half, the Cavaliers opted to go for it on a fourth-and-4 from their own 34-yard line.
Juniors Armand Wright and Max Smith brought pressure on the play, forcing Capital City junior quarterback Keala Kahele to try and throw a pass over them.
Hiatt tipped the ball to himself and returned it 25 yards for the score two minutes into the third quarter.
“My defense deflected the ball up in the air and I had to go get it,” Hiatt said. “I went up and grabbed it and there was an open field in front of me. Armand was my lead blocker, so I just followed behind him and he led me to the [end zone].”
After that, Smith-Cotton forced Capital City to punt twice, fumble twice and turn it over on downs once to close out the game.
“The defense was flying around,” Franklin said. “That’s something that we’ve talked to the defensive guys all season about is like they can be relentless. They can wreak havoc in every single game if they just believe in themselves, and you saw that tonight. They were playing for each other. They were fired up the whole game. They all did their 1/11th. Everybody did what they were supposed to do tonight, and that’s why the defense played so well.”
Wright credited the scheme drawn up by defensive coordinator Martin Zerilli for keeping Capital City off the scoreboard.
“I feel like he set us up for success,” Wright said. “He gave us a job. He told us what to do, what to expect. It was a great gameplan all around, and yeah, our defense is something special.”
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Smith-Cotton senior Rylon Curry (7) makes a tackle during the homecoming football game against Capital City on Friday, Oct. 9, at Jennie Jaynes Stadium.
Smith-Cotton senior Alex McDonald (4) carries the ball during the homecoming football game against Capital City on Friday, Oct. 9, at Jennie Jaynes Stadium.
A group of Smith-Cotton defenders, led by junior Armand Wright (5), tackle a Capital City ball carrier during the homecoming football game on Friday, Oct. 9, at Jennie Jaynes Stadium.
The Smith-Cotton football team takes the field before the homecoming football game against Capital City on Friday, Oct. 9, at Jennie Jaynes Stadium.
The Cavaliers’ third fumble of the game set the Tigers up in the red zone.
Four plays later, Wright punched in a 3-yard touchdown run. The hold on the extra point attempt was botched, leaving the score at 16-0 with 7:03 left to play.
Capital City ran nearly six minutes off the clock on their next possession, which ended with a turnover on downs to allow S-C to drain the final one minute and four seconds.
The win is Smith-Cotton’s first against Capital City, which began playing football in 2020.
“I’m happy for the kids, especially the seniors,” Franklin said. “The seniors kind of get to go out and kind of have those bragging rights of the first senior group to beat Cap City, so that’s pretty cool.”
This is also the second year in a row Smith-Cotton has recorded a shutout victory on homecoming. The Tigers beat Battle 15-0 during last year’s homecoming.
“It feels amazing,” Hiatt said. “We did it last year and it was the best feeling ever. I’m glad we got to do it again.”
The Tigers visit Helias Catholic on Saturday, Oct. 17.
CMAC SCOREBOARD
Helias Catholic 49, Jefferson City 14
Camdenton 28, Hickman 21
Rock Bridge 71, Battle 7
AREA SCOREBOARD
Cole Camp 48, Missouri Military Academy 14
Windsor 26, Westran 20
Tipton 75, Fayette 0
Northwest 8-man 58, Slater 20
Lincoln 8-man 46, New Heights Christian Academy 42
Sports editor Jack Denebeim can be reached at 660-530-0142.
