The Haughton Bucs came into Saturday’s game as a heavy favorite against a Woodlawn team looking for its first win.
The Bucs, ranked No. 6 in the LSWA Class 5A poll, did as expected, routing the Knights 56-12 on a warm, windy afternoon at Lee Hedges Stadium.
Haughton improved to 3-0 with all three victories by at least 18 points. Woodlawn dropped to 0-3.
The Bucs scored on their first possession and continued to roll, building a 42-6 halftime lead. Subs played a second half that went by quickly thanks to a running clock.
Haughton head coach Jason Brotherton knew his team was capable of dominating the struggling Knights. But the Bucs still had to come out and prove it.
“That was good to see,” he said. “It was hard to show up, play a winless team on a Saturday afternoon at 2 o’clock. It’s out of our element and out of our routine. So it was good to see our kids perform like they can and like they should. It’s one of those games if you don’t play well off the bat it could end up being close. But we did a good job of stepping on the gas from the very beginning.”
Haughton quarterback Peyton Stovall threw touchdown passes in the first quarter to Elijah Rochon (24 yards), Tristan Sweeney (31 yards) and Matthew Whitten (66 yards).
Keyshawn Davis scored on a 6-yard run. Carter Jensen kicked three extra points and CJ McWilliams scored a two-point conversion.
The Bucs took a 29-0 lead into the second quarter.
Haughton gave up its only big play early in the second quarter. Woodlawn’s Delatrion Moton hit Brian Stewart for 52 yards to the Haughton 6 on fourth-and-16. The Knights scored a play later but the Bucs stopped the two-point conversion attempt.
On the first play after the kickoff, Stovall hit McWilliams for a 60-yard touchdown.
After Khaylon Chapple forced a fumble on a sack, Davis sprinted 20 yards to the 2 then scored his third TD. Chapple has been a dominant force in the first three games.
Backup quarterback Coleman Stafford scored on a short run in the third quarter. Joshua Sewell scored the Bucs’ final TD, returning an onside kick down the sideline.
Now Haughton can focus on its District 1-5A opener against Byrd at home Friday. The Yellow Jackets are 0-3 but they have played three tough teams, including West Monroe and Calvary Baptist.
“I heard somebody the other day, one of our coaches, say Byrd’s kind of the standard around here,” Brotherton said. “They’ve had a long run of success. Their coaches do it the right way. That’s the program people look at and it’s really kind of a measuring stick. We’ve gotten them the last two years. We know we’re going to get their best shot. It’s going to be at our place so we’re excited about that. We expect a really good game.”
