By Rich Fisher
Fish4scores.com
Sep. 8: Wow.
If you’re looking for anything better than that, you’re not getting it here as wow is the best we can do.
In one of the most memorable Hamilton West football victories in many a year, Dominic Cooper’s 38-yard field goal with time running out gave the Hornets a heart-pounding, 31-28 victory at Lawrence Friday night.
The victory puts Hamilton at 2-0 for the first time since 2011 as the Hornets continue to play on the road until their bleachers are installed.
West held a 28-20 lead until Will Johnson’s 10-yard run and a 2-point conversion tied it late in the fourth quarter. But Hamilton got into Cooper’s range and he nailed it to start the celebration.
After Lawrence fumbled the opening kickoff Ryan Hogan made it hurt with a 3-yard touchdown run and the first of four Cooper PATs.
Lawrence tied it at 7-7, but Hamilton’s Brandon Muir took the ensuing kickoff back 67 yards to make it 14-7. Lawrence scored two TDs for a 20-14 halftime lead but Hamilton battled back again.
Muir caught a 53-yard touchdown pass from Barry Ndeh and Cooper’s kick made it 21-20. Christopher Charles grabbed a 15-yard scoring strike from Hezekiah Patterson in the fourth quarter to put Hamilton up 28-20, setting up the wild finish.
Earlier in the game, Charles made his 12th career interception to tie the school record.
Ken “The Facebook King” Nehila contributed to this story
