Hornets Roll Past Buccaneers, Set Sights on Vernon

By: Shelia Mader

The Cottondale Hornets hit the road Friday night and came home with an impressive 48-22 win over the North Bay Haven Buccaneers. The victory lifted the Hornets to 5-3 on the season with just two regular-season games left on the schedule.

Cottondale set the tone early, outscoring the Buccaneers 12-7 in the first quarter and never looking back. The Hornets added 16 more points in the second and 14 in the third to build a commanding lead before North Bay Haven salvaged the final quarter, 8-6. By that point, the outcome was well in hand.

Quarterback Nick Heinemann was nearly perfect through the air, connecting on nine of ten passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Tramond Collins led the receiving corps with four catches for 70 yards and a score, followed by Alex Bellamy with 45 yards and a touchdown on two receptions. Trashonn Collins added a pair of catches for 39 yards.

The Hornets’ ground game was equally dominant. Zacarius Collins pounded out 206 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, while Tramond Collins added 60 yards and two touchdowns on seven attempts. Trashonn Collins chipped in 40 yards on 11 carries, also finding the end zone twice. Tramond Collins added a rushing conversion, with Trashonn Collins and Trace Pelfrey each tossing a successful passing conversion.

On defense, Demont Jackson led the charge with 11 tackles, setting the tone for a unit that kept the Buccaneers from finding any sustained rhythm.

With the win, Cottondale turns its attention to Friday night’s home matchup against the Vernon Yellowjackets. Though Vernon enters with an 0-9 record, veteran head coach Chris Obert knows his Hornets can’t afford to overlook a hungry Yellowjackets team still chasing its first win of the year.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Cottondale.