Harris Leads Rushing Attack in Fort Zumwalt West Win

For Fort Zumwalt West senior Drew Hare, the winning play of Friday's football game was of biblical proportions.

"Watching that play from (the backfield) and seeing that hole open up like the Red Sea, it was unbelievable," said Hare, referencing Teddy Williamson's 16-yard touchdown run with 54 seconds remaining that capped the Jaguars' 34-28 win over host and Gateway Athletic Conference South rival Francis Howell.

It was a momentous win for the Jaguars, who were looking to avoid a 1-3 start to the season and instead evened their record to 2-2 overall and nabbed a key win in their attempt to dethrone Howell (3-1) as the two-time defending conference champion.

"This rivalry over the last three years has gotten pretty intense," Zumwalt West coach Paul Day said. "It's a huge win for us, especially where we were at halftime and being able to pull it off."

The Jaguars got off to a fast start by capping their first two drives with rushing touchdowns. Williamson opened the scoring on an 18-yard draw play and Ray Harris followed suit with a 1-yard touchdown plunge. Hare found receiver Kyle Echols on the ensuing two-point conversion, giving Zumwalt West a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

But Howell made a game of it on its very next play from scrimmage. Paul Steward busted a big run up the middle for a 62-yard touchdown scamper, marking the start of 21 unanswered points from Howell.

Vikings quarterback Eric Siebenshuh closed the half with touchdown passes to Corey King and Alex Strong, and place kicker Zac Perkins converted all three point-after attempts to put Howell ahead 21-14 entering the third quarter.

With on-and-off rainfall throughout the evening, the Jaguars opted to keep the ball on the ground. Hare accounted for nearly half of his team's 215 rushing yards and Harris continued making big plays with his feet.

Facing a fourth-down situation with 7 minutes, 29 seconds left in the third quarter, Harris helped West inch closer with a 10-yard, tackle-breaking touchdown. The Jaguars came up short on  the two-point conversion, but Harris would soon come through again on fourth down - this time with 8:25 left in the fourth quarter on a 6-yard touchdown run. He ran the two-point conversion in himself, giving West a 28-21 lead.

But Howell, which last season split its two games against Zumwalt West including a 34-28 loss in the Class 6 quarterfinals, had an ace left in its pocket. The Vikings played it with 3:57 remaining when Siebenshuh found King on a 52-yard touchdown pass. King, who has a history of making game-changing plays against Zumwalt West, escaped the grasp of would-be tacklers on his way to the endzone and Perkins' extra point tied the game at 28.

But again, Zumwalt West called Harris' number. He came through on the first play of the ensuing West drive on a pass play from Hare. Harris' 52-yard reception brought the ball into Howell territory, and Williamson capped the drive with a game-winning, 16-yard touchdown run that provided the bookend of Zumwalt West's victory.

"I just had faith that we could pull it off," Williamson said. "The O-line did what they do, the gap just opened ... and I just hit the hole."

The win gives West a 2-0 record in conference play and sends Howell to a 2-1 league mark. The Jaguars converted all five of their fourth-down opportunities, four of which were handoffs to Harris, and sent the Vikings to their first conference loss since 2008. Howell's conference winning streak ends at 15 games.

"We showed a lot of character tonight," Day said. "Both teams made big plays. Our kids just gutted it out and did a great job."