The Chargers kicked off the playoff season with a statement win over the Purcell Dragons. Entering week one of playoffs with the same mindset, the streaking Chargers took a week-by-week approach, staying laser focused on the one game in front of them. The pursuit of another Gold Ball began with a victory over Purcell. 
 
The first quarter was an action packed one for the Chargers. Phillip Smitherman caught a 56 yard pass from Jackson Jobe to put the first touchdown of the night on the board. 

Without rest, the Hall charged onward, and junior Colby Lewis capitalized on good field position with a quick 5 yard dash up the sideline to stretch the lead to 14. Lewis returned this week after sitting out for a concussion protocol and brought energy to the field. 

The Dragon defense couldn't stop the Chargers fast paced playstyle and explosive offense. Joe Washington finished the quarter off for the Hall with a beautiful 18 yard pass from Jobe to put the Chargers up 21-0. 

The second quarter was more of the same. Sophomore Gavin Freeman haulted in a 21 yard pass from Jobe to add to the Charger lead. 

Coach Mark Adams' defense continued dominating the Dragons, both pressuring and containing their elusive quarterback.

The offense continued to roll. Junior running back Jayden Williams pounded in a 4 yard touchdown run. On the next drive, the team's leading rusher on the season, stormed down the field on a 19 yard run to the end zone. Heading into halftime the Chargers held a convincing 42-0 advantage. 

Out of halftime, the Chargers brought the same drive and determination to preserve the shutout and finish strong. The Chargers put a lot of younger players in to give them playoff experience and playing time, but they brought the Charger Pride and continued the defensive dominance. 

The fourth quarter went by in a flash for the Chargers, with the offense churning the clock and the defense charging. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Purcell  still saw a zero on their side of the scoreboard, and the Chargers scored their first playoff win of the year, a 42-0 shutout. 

The Hall moved to 10-0 heading into week two of the Class 3A Gold Ball battle. The win streak now sits at 23 games and the Chargers are showed no signs of slowing down!

Statistical leaders for the night included many players, as Coach Bogert spread the playing time among the second unit and freshmen. This has been an essential building block in the Charger football dynasty – young players are the next generation of champions. 

Leaders on the defensive side included usual players like Hardy Bowers (7 tackles, 2 for loss), Landon Lahodny (5 tackles), and Phillip Smitherman (5 tackles, interception). Connor Keith and Jayden Williams each recorded a sack; Keith's moved him into sole ownership of the #4 spot in the career record book, just two takedowns away from passing Carson Orton '18. It also showcased the talents of freshman River Faulkner (7 tackles), senior reserve Matthew McClintock (6 tackles). 

On the offensive side of the ball, Jobe was 8 of 14 passing for 141 yards and 3 touchdowns. Smitherman was the primary receiver with 6 catches for 104 yards and a score; the senior speedster passed his current coach Tevin McDaniel '17 for the 3rd best season in program history (42 yards away from legend Sterling Shepard '12's best campaign) and is now within range of topping 2,000 yards for his career.

The Chargers slayed the Dragons with a first round win to advance to a quarterfinal showdown this week against the 9-2 and 9th ranked Stigler Panthers. Stilger won their opening playoff contest on a huge bracket buster over 5th ranked Berryhill, 55-21. The Hall looks to continue their chase for a three-peat with a repeat of last years matchup against Stigler, a 44-21 landslide.

#WHATEVERITTAKES #thestreak

Written by Quincy LeNorman '21
Photos by Jalen Johnson '20