Chargers flex on Plainview with 1st half explosion

On Friday, October 21, the Chargers faced off against the Plainview Indians for a Senior Night battle with major District title implications.

Almost every time Plainview has stepped onto Pop Murray Memorial Field, they've left Charger Stadium with a loss. The Chargers won playoff games against the Indians in 2020, 2015, and 2014 – and held a 5-1 record all-time against the visitors.

With the last few weeks bringing easy wins for the Chargers, it was exciting to see a change of pace in the opponent we were against. The Indians came in as an AP poll Top 10 team, but suffered a one-point loss following a missed 2-pt conversion attempt against Pauls Valley the previous week. The Chargers, riding a 5-game win streak, were well prepared for this matchup after a hard-working week of practice.

The Hall came out firing on all cylinders, right off the bat. The defense got a stop on Plainview's first possession. Then, River Faulkner broke off with a huge run straight to the end zone.

The offense for Plainview seemed to have no solution for the fire the defense brought all night and gave the ball back to the Chargers.

Faulkner wasn't done yet, and scored his second rushing touchdown on as many drives for Heritage Hall.

After the defense got yet another stop, junior receiver Rashaud Smith scored a touchdown to make it three straight drives with scores for the Chargers. With Andy Bass slinging it, Faulkner running it, and the receivers catching every ball that came their way, the offense looked unstoppable for the Heritage Hall Chargers.

The defense was a brick wall in front of the Plainview offense, giving up an impressive zero points in the first half. The Indians had no solution to anything the Chargers were throwing at them, and showed no sign of coming back in this matchup. The advantage for Heritage Hall was 50-0 at the half.

The Hall came out for the second half feeling really good about the ginormous lead they secured in the first 24 minutes of play. Head coach Brett Bogert '05 decided to let his starters rest, pulling them out early in the second half. The latest any starter played was near the end of the third quarter. The Indians were able to score a couple of times on the reserves, but it was way too little and much too late to make a difference. With the starters getting even more in sync, multiple players gaining experience, and the young guys picking up quality playing time – it was a flawless night for the Chargers!

Andy Bass connected on 13 of 18 pass attempts, for 148 yards and four touchdowns. River Faulkner put up 120 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries; the senior is now #11 all-time on the Heritage Hall career scoring list. Cooper Cookson was one of Bass' favorite targets on the night, hauling in 4 passes for 42 yards, and making one highlight reel grab across the middle for 23 yards. Cookson, Jordyn Harris, Zach Fetrow, and Rashaud Smith all caught touchdown passes on the night.

Defensively, the Chargers were led in tackles by Cookson and Fetrow, with 9 apiece. Faulkner had 7 tackles, including the game's only sack. Reserves Terrence Johnson (7), Ben Showalter (6), and Kline Reuter (5) made the most stops in reserve time during the second half. Rashaud Smith had a fumble recovery, while Graham Murphy picked off a pass.

Special teams were brilliant for The Hall. Jordyn Harris returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown. Carter Counts was 6 of 6 on extra points and boomed 3 touchbacks out of his 8 kickoffs.

With the Chargers now on a six game win streak, and the playoffs coming up, momentum is heavily in their favor. Both sides of the ball are looking fearless and appear ready to take on any opponent that faces them. The 50-14 victory over Plainview was the last regular season home game. The Chargers will travel to Sulphur and Marlow over the next two weeks; both programs boast quality teams that will give The Hall a couple of good tests before the postseason. You can watch Friday's showdown in Sulphur on ChargerVision; the pregame show begins around 6:40 and kickoff is slated for 7pm.

Written by Gray Keller '24
Photos by Dawn Freeman

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