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Chelsea fell into an early hole that it could not climb out of against Hewitt-Trussville, but the Hornets scored a pair of impressive touchdowns late to post 20 points in their final game of the year. (For the Reporter/Cari Dean)

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

CHELSEA – The Chelsea Hornets couldn’t keep up with a hungry Hewitt-Trussville Huskies offense, losing 49-20 but tacking on a pair of late scores in their last game of the year at home on Oct. 27.

After Hewitt got the ball to start the game, the Huskies got off to a fast start to the game and scored within the first three minutes. Jaqson Melton polished off the drive with a punch-in touchdown to go up 7-0.

Chelsea went three-and-out on its first drive, and that let Hewitt score again, this time through the air as Peyton Floyd connected with Donovan Price to put Hewitt up 14-0 with 6:20 left in the first quarter.

The Hornets had the ball for the rest of the first quarter and got close to the end zone. While they didn’t get in for six points, Luke Miller ensured they still walked away with three points with a 28-yard field goal shortly after the second quarter began.

Later in the quarter, Hewitt earned an interception, but Chelsea forced the same mistake from the Huskies. The Hornets’ pressure got to Floyd, who forced a throw as he went down to let Anderson Brooks pick off the pass and return it for 30 yards.

Chelsea used the momentum from the turnover to drive closer to goal line, and Miller nailed a 39-yard field goal to cut Hewitt’s lead to 14-6 midway through the second quarter.

However, the Huskies would score two touchdowns before halftime, the first coming from a 55-yard catch-and-run off a tipped ball, and the second score finding the end zone with just 17 second left on another Floyd pass. Hewitt took a 28-6 lead into the locker room after it failed to hit a field goal with time expiring.

The Huskies pulled away in the third quarter thanks to an interception and a short Floyd rushing touchdown on their first drive of the half, and then midway through the quarter, they found the end zone from midfield on a 48-yard touchdown pass.

With Hewitt up 42-6 as the fourth quarter started, Chelsea found the end zone for the first time in the game. On a long third down situation, Carter Dotson sent a shot to Nick Sulenski, who grabbed the ball and ran 71 yards to the house to cut the gap to 42-13 with 9:56 remaining.

However, the Huskies immediately responded two plays later with a 75-yard run by Deuce Alston for their final touchdown of the night.

With less than a minute remaining in their season, the Hornets capped off the year with a trip to the end zone. Backup quarterback Miller Bauman found Jaxon Shuttlesworth for one final touchdown to make the final score 49-20 Hewitt.

Emerson Russell ran for 88 yards on 29 carries to lead Chelsea. Sulenski had two catches for 83 yards, and Shuttlesworth earned 46 yards off four receptions.

Chelsea stats provided by Mark McLaughlin.

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