Hampton leaves Cane River Trivett(ized)… Jr. Bulldogs shred Rebels on 8th Grade Night behind Trivett, 46-0
Published 1:55 am Thursday, October 3, 2019
1 of 8
BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR SPORTS EDITOR
HAMPTON- Not only was it the last regular-season game for the Hampton Jr. Bulldogs, it was a special night for the team’s 8th-grade football players and cheerleaders as the Hampton community celebrated 8th-Grade Night with a large crowd on hand to thank the players and cheerleaders for their commitment to the middle school’s football program.
In return, the football team gave the fans on hand plenty to cheer for as the Jr. Bulldogs left the Cane River Rebels from North Carolina with swimming heads after turning them on their ears behind a stand-out performance by Dylan Trivett who had a hand in four of the scores as well as a couple of two-point conversions.
Not too bad for someone who only decide a week before football started to play after considering sitting out to focus on basketball. It definitely was enough to make his head coach, Alex Payne, smile from ear to ear.
Trivett got things going for Hampton as he burst off a 50-plus yard touchdown run with 6:46 showing on the first-quarter clock. Elijah McKinney converted the two-point conversion and the Jr. ‘Dogs led 8-0.
Just before the quarter ended, it was Trivett launching a 55-yard bomb that found it’s target in Michael Anspaugh who carried the ball into the end zone for a 16-0 lead after Trivett took care of the two-point conversion himself.
The Rebels were forced to punt about halfway through the second quarter and Trivett made Cane River pay dearly taking the ball on the run and 85-yards later stood in the end zone to give Hampton a 22-0 lead after the conversion failed.
Trivett wasn’t finished in the half as the lanky eighth-grader took a pass out of the air and raced 72 yards for a pick-six with 1:23 left before the half. Elijah McKinney would once again plow into the end zone on the two-point conversion to extend the Jr. ‘Dog lead to 30-0.
After the 8th-grade cheerleaders and players along with their families and guardians were recognized at the half, the Bulldogs wanted to continue the show they started in the first half.
Geno Carrico bulled his way in from the two-yard line for the first score of the second half with 3:40 left in the third quarter. Trivett hit Chance Point with a slant pass for the two-point conversion and Hampton was rolling faster than a loose boulder on the side of a barren mountain leading their North Carolina visitors 38-0.
The Jr. ‘Dogs scored their final points of the regular season with 2:25 to go in the fourth quarter as Damien Norris scored on a 13-yard run and then converted the two-point conversion for the final 46-0 final.
Payne said that his eighth-graders were a special group for him.
“It would be hard to overstate what they have meant hanging around here the last two years,” said Payne. “They come in and are very business-like about it. They practice hard and they expect to win and represent the school well.
“They play with a lot of confidence and do what we tell them to do and I appreciate that. I hope that they all stick together because I can’t wait to see what they do at the high school level.”
Payne also wanted to thank his assistant coaches who have stayed by his side to work in making the Hampton team a special group. Those coaches are Todd Hill, Joy Gardner, and Dennis Ward.