LUMBERTON — Hadyn Reeves ran wild and the East Chambers defense took care of the rest as the Buccaneers rolled to a first-round blowout, 59-14, over Huntington on Thursday night.
Entering as the top seed out of District 10-3A-I, East Chambers scored early and often in a game that was never close. Reeves was the focal point of the Bucs’ run-heavy offense, carrying the ball 20 times for 193 yards and three touchdowns.
Most of that production came in the first half as East Chambers had Huntington down big almost immediately.
“It’s not often that you start the season with a sophomore tailback,” Bucs head coach Russ Sutherland said. “Hadyn is a first-year varsity player, but he’s gotten better and better every week for us.”
While East Chambers offense scored seemingly at will, the defense forced five total turnovers, including four interceptions of Huntington quarterback Garrett Chancelor. The bi-district win now advances East Chambers into next week’s Class 3A area around, where the Bucs will face the winner of Little River and Yoakum.
East Chambers’ onslaught started right away on the first play from scrimmage. Reeves took a handoff 37 yards into the end zone, and the Bucs quickly had a 7-0 lead.
A fumble in the red zone on East Chambers next drive briefly stalled the blowout, but it was the Bucs’ only mistake of the first half.
As Huntington struggled to find any consistent offense, East Chambers continued to click. Quarterback Jacoby Perrault scored on a one-yard sneak, giving the Bucs a 14-0 lead.
Back-to-back interceptions by the East Chambers defense then blew the game open. First, Joshua Carter scored on a pick-six, then Wyatt Kash set up another East Chambers score with an interception of his own.
Sutherland said the sequence marked a turning point in the victory.
“We knew they threw it a lot,” Sutherland said of Huntington’s offense. “Fortunately tonight, they threw a few of them to us.”
A six-yard touchdown by Reeves, who ran for 140 yards in the first half alone, extended Bucs lead to 35-0.
Both teams traded touchdowns late in the second quarter, and East Chambers took a 42-7 advantage into halftime.
Huntington showed some life coming out of the locker room, using a long touchdown pass from Chancelor to grab some momentum. However, it would be short-lived as East Chambers scored the game’s final 17 points to seal the win.
Little River and Yoakum will play on Friday night to earn the right to face East Chambers. No matter who the Bucs play, Sutherland knows it will be a tough test.
“You’re getting a very good football team in the second round no matter what,” he said.
mfaye@beaumontenterprise.com
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