HARLEM – The New Hampstead Phoenixes rallied to defeat the Harlem Bulldogs 33-28 on Friday, Nov. 6 in front of a raucous Bulldogs’ home crowd.
The Phoenixes had an effective ground game, collecting 163 yards and two scores on 31 carries. Christian Kinlaw led the backfield with 142 of those yards and both scores on 19 touts. They were even more effective through the air, however, with quarterback Antonio Benton slinging the rock for 217 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions on 24 attempts.
Harlem was the opposite, with its signal-caller, Carter Smith, only managing four completions on 11 attempts for 57 yards and two interceptions. However, the Bulldogs had no issue running the ball though, racking up 277 yards and 4 touchdowns on 44 touches.
Keaton Tillery had a gargantuan day for Harlem, with 34 carries for 207 yards and all four of his team’s scores.
Harlem coach Mark Boiter admired his star running back despite the loss.
“He fought hard, and the offensive line did great,” he said. “Unfortunately, it was just one of those nights.”
The first quarter was a pure slugfest, with only two plays going for more than 10 yards (a 29-yard run by Kinlaw and a 15-yard scramble by Benton). The Bulldogs failed to move the chains on the first drive of the game and punted it away.
The Phoenixes were unable to respond despite driving 75 yards on 11 plays, to the Harlem 10-yard line, as Benton threw an ill-advised and relatively unforced interception to middle linebacker Jax Stadler at the 1-yard line. Opting to play it safe instead of risking a safety, the Bulldogs again went three-and-out and punted with four minutes and 15 seconds remaining in the first.
New Hampstead took advantage this time and took the game into the second quarter on a 62-yard drive that ended with Kinlaw scoring on a four-yard run, though Grady McKenna missed the PAT.
A beautiful 55-yard return by Dai’john Sanders set the Bulldogs up on the New Hampstead 20, and an effective run game would see Harlem claim its first points of the contest on a Tillery two-yard run. Connor Anderson made the PAT to give the Dawgs the lead, 7-6.
The Harlem defense forced a three-and-out, but Smith threw an interception to the Phoenixes’ David Kirkland on the ensuing drive as he was being dragged to the ground. New Hampstead immediately capitalized with a 48-yard deep shot from Benton to Aydan Day to put his team back in the lead, this time with a successful extra point kick following for a 13-7 Phoenixes’ advantage.
A poor kickoff and illegal touch gave Harlem the ball at the 46, where Tillery would run wild in just three plays and tack another score on to make it 14-13 in favor of the Bulldogs.
This time it was the Phoenixes’ turn for a big kickoff though, and James Buchanan returned it 65 yards and forced a horse-collar tackle to put the ball on the 10. Benton found Layne Watkins for as many yards to make it 20-14 in favor of New Hampstead.
Defensive stands would round out the half, New Hampstead holding the lead and set to receive the second half kickoff.
Much like the first half, the second half began slowly for both teams on offense. Benton would throw his second interception of the day on a prayer of a deep ball on just the third play of the third quarter to free safety Noah Cadle.
Harlem would stall out around the Phoenix 40-yard line in response. An impressive fourth down stop by the Bulldogs at New Hampstead’s own 18, where Benton was swarmed as soon as he snapped the ball, gave Harlem great field position.
Four carries by Tillery for 14 yards (and a too-many-men penalty on the Phoenixes) let Harlem regain the lead with four minutes left in the third quarter, 21-20.
New Hampstead refused to roll over and die, though, and the visitors found the end zone on the next drive with a gorgeous 63-yard catch-and-run from Benton to receiver Mekhi Lynn.
Harlem took possession, down 27-21, with under two minutes left in the quarter and at its own 24. It looked as though they’d retaken the lead with a 38-yard pass from Smith to Tridson Hill, but an illegal procedure call brough them back to the New Hampstead 43. The Bulldogs were further tormented as, on the very next play, a Smith deep ball was picked off by Zevin Black and returned all the way back to the line of scrimmage.
Harlem’s defense made a critical stand here, forcing a punt on a three-and-out, and Tillery fully took over the offense, running 83 yards via six carries on a 96-yard scoring drive to regain the lead, 28-27, with six and a half minutes to go.
Harlem’s defense collapsed as they let the Phoenixes across midfield though, and a 42-yard touchdown run by Kinlaw had the Bulldogs on their heels. There was hope, though, as an awkward two-point attempt meant the Phoenixes’ lead was just five points, 33-28.
Harlem’s Tillery truly had taken over the offense, as this final drive was just eight carries in a row by him. The Phoenixes were ready, though, and stopped him inches short of a fourth down on fourth-and-two with a minute left, ending the game.
Boiter wasn’t shy about the officiating.
“It came down to the wire, and unfortunately, the swing was officiating,” he said. “We had a touchdown called back on an illegal formation that our film disagrees with. Then we got a questionable spot at the end of the game, in a year we haven’t had a first down measurement happen. Sometimes the calls just don’t go your way.”
New Hampstead coach Kyle Hockman attributed his team’s win to pure grit.
“We knew this was going to come down to the wire, and we started off slow, but our team started clicking and took off,” said Hockman. “We make it a point to spread the ball around – get it to Kinlaw, Watkins, or Lynn. Our defense stood up when it mattered and bailed us out. It all fell into place.”
Both teams are looking towards the playoffs now.
“We’ll see where we are in the power rankings,” said Boiter. “We probably won’t host a game now, but if we’re in the playoffs, we just have to play our hardest. We always have a chance to go on a run and make some noise.”
Hockman echoed that sentiment.
“We’re hot; we’re going into the postseason on a five-game win streak,” he said. “I think we’re going to surprise some people.”
Both teams will anxiously watch the power rankings to determine their futures, but as of now, Harlem ends its season 6-4 and 4-2 in the region, while New Hampstead concludes at 5-5 and 4-2.
Cooper Brady is an Augusta University student.
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