Haskins unstoppable, Rebels stun Trojans

The rain stopped but Haskins never did as the Rebels handed the Trojans their third straight district loss, winning 22-20.

Haskins finished the game with 215 yards on 26 carries and also hauled in four passes from Rebel quarterback Trey Phipps for 48 additional yards. The senior found the end zone on two occasions, the first from 20 yards out and the second from 29 yards away.

Afterward, Dyersburg head coach Bart Stowe was left impressed with Haskins' ability to chew up positive yardage against the Trojan defense, saying, "he's a very good player for Obion County and he proved that tonight. We really had trouble getting him stopped."

Defensively the game began well enough for Dyersburg (4-3, 1-3) as the unit held firm when the Rebels went for it on fourth down at the Trojan 9-yard line. Needing four yards to convert the first down, Trojan Tyler Lyons sacked Rebel quarterback Trey Phipps on the 13-yard line.

Dyersburg's opening drive was a masterpiece as Xavier Taylor, Cory Nunez and Lyons all had big gains to get deep into Rebel territory. Facing first and goal at the 2-yard line, Lyons went airborne to cap off a 10-play, 87-yard drive as Dyersburg took a 7-0 lead with 3:02 left in the quarter.

The Rebels answered the score in the first minute of the second quarter when Haskins ran around, over and through the Trojan defense on a 20-yard scamper. Teammate Lucas Fulbright added the 2-point conversion as Obion County took an 8-7 lead.

Both squads struggled to find any offensive rhythm on their next two offensive series. The Trojans were on the move late in the second quarter when quarterback Chase Brown connected on a short pass to Taylor. An unfortunate fumble followed, however, and Obion County took over on its own 34-yard line.

Minutes later after getting into Dyersburg territory, Haskins broke free from would-be tacklers and sprinted to the end zone with 1:12 remaining in the half. Though the conversion failed, the Rebels went to the half leading 14-7.

"We were in the ballgame, but we needed to come out and get a score to tie it and our defense needed get some stops," added Stowe. "We were in the ballgame, but we just needed to do a better job of executing."

Though the Trojans struggled to start the third quarter offensively, the Rebels mishandled a Seth Hinson punt. Obion County recovered, though deep in its own territory at the 6-yard line.

A defensive stand forced a punt into the wind, which the Trojans recovered at the Rebel 28-yard line. Three plays later Brown connected with Lyons on third and goal for a quick score. The PAT attempt from Andrew Lowrance failed as Dyersburg trailed 14-13 with 11:09 left in the fourth quarter.

The Rebels, as they did all night, turned to Haskins to provide a spark and the senior delivered. After a penalty put Obion County in a first-and-14 situation at midfield, Haskins eluded the Trojan defense before finally being brought down at the 2-yard line. One play later Fulbright ran up the middle for the score. The drive took a mere 53 seconds.

Haskins converted the 2-point try as the Rebels took a 22-13 advantage with 10:16 to play.

After an interception, a defensive stand from Dyersburg forced a Rebel punt. Taking over on its own 33-yard line, the Black and Gold offense went to work.

The Rebel defense chased Brown from the pocket, and after alluding tacklers, Brown heaved a long pass hauled in by Steven Permenter for an apparent score with five minutes left to play. However, multiple flags on the play negated the score and Dyersburg's hope of a comeback victory.

The Trojans didn't give up however, eventually scoring after getting the ball back with less than two minutes to play. On third and 10 from the Rebel 30, Hayden Alford connected with Permenter for a touchdown strike. Lowrance's PAT trimmed the lead to 22-20 with 1:52 remaining.

The Rebels recovered Dyersburg's attempt at an onside kick and ran out the clock to preserve the victory.

"What I liked most about this game is the way the kids kept fighting and I'm really proud of them for that. Whatever the conditions were they never laid down and they showed a lot of pride," added Stowe. "We've lost two close football games that could have gone either way. It comes down to making a play and we didn't make the plays we needed to."

The Trojans travel on Friday to face No.2-ranked Milan. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.