SCISA 3A champions for the fourth straight year, the 2009 Hammond Skyhawks: #1 Aaron Walters, WR / DB, Sr; #2 Beach Corontzes, DB, Jr; #3 Kyle Grant, TE / DE, So; #4 Jake Ayers, WR, Jr; #5 Gavin Fawcett, WR, Sr; #6 Jordan Kay, OLB / DB, Sr; #7 Ron Millhouse, WR / DB, Fr; #8 Hunter George, WR / DB, Jr; #9 Logan Smith, OLB / DB, Fr; #11 Luke Chappell, TE / DE, Jr; #12 Gus Inabinet, WR / DB, Sr; #13 Pearson Fowler, K, Jr; #14 Dave Nidiffer, QB, Jr; #15 David Tucker, DB / K, Jr; #17 Les Cotter, RB / OLB, Jr; #18 Hugh Gooding, WR, So; #19 Guy Castles, DB, Jr; #20 Coker Courie, DB, So; #21 Chris Wells, DB, Jr; 22 B.J. Bennett, RB / OLB, So; #23 David Dukes, DB, Jr; #24 Jon Allen Babson, DB, So; #28 William Graham, DB, So; #30 Gilmore Oliphant, DB, So; #31 Harris Pharr DB, So; #50 Roo Daniels, OL / DL, Fr; #51 Weston Verner, MLB / OL, Jr; #52 Malachi Ware, OL / DL, Jr; #54 Kris Simmons, OL / DL, Jr; #55 Cole Brown, OL / DL, So; #56 Joseph McDougall, OL / DL, Jr; #57 Patrick Fawcett, OL / DL, So; #60 George Foster; OL / DL; Jr; #70 Jay Bowen, OL / DL, Sr; #71 Ryan Fiedler, OL / DL, So; #73 Thomas Ulmer, DL, Sr; #84 Robbie Gandy, TE / DE, So; Head Coach Erik Kimrey; Defensive Coordinator Jon Wheeler; Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Jamie Scott; Run Game Coordinator Jeff Barnes; Assistant Coaches Chris Elliott, George Simpson, Gene Smith, and Braylyn Bennett. Photo by Jeff Blake/ColumbiaWeddingPhotos.com The Hammond Skyhawks scored on the first play from scrimmage and never looked back. They avenged their only loss of the season by defeating the Heathwood Hall Highlanders 50–20 for their fourth consecutive SCISA AAA state football championship on Friday, November 20 at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium in Columbia.

Hammond’s Weston Verner tackles Heathwood Hall quarterback Mac Whalen. Photo by Jim Marczesky The Skyhawks (11–1) lost to the Highlanders four weeks earlier at home, 10–7, in a defensive struggle. There would be none of that on this night for on the first play Dave Nidiffer found a streaking Aaron Walters for a 68–yard touchdown pass. The Skyhawks then pulled a trick play on the extra point with the ball being pitched forward to Les Cotter, who plowed into the end zone to give Hammond a quick 8–0 lead.

Hammond’s B.J. Bennett runs through a hole in the Heathwood defense. Photo by Jeff Blake/ColumbiaWeddingPhotos.com The Highlanders (11–1) had to punt on their first possession, but they got the ball right back on an unusual play as Nidiffer’s pass was batted into the air. The Hammond quarterback caught the deflection but fumbled as he was being tackled. Charles Propst recovered for Heathwood, and six plays later Mac Whalen found Benji Stern in the back of the end zone for a touchdown. Cole Fowble’s extra point made it 8–7, but that was as close as the Highlanders would ever get.

Hammond’s Jordan Kay lays out to intercept a long lateral attempt by Heathwood. Photo by Jim Marczesky The Skyhawks took the ensuing kickoff and marched down the field in nine plays, the final of which was a 9–yard touchdown run by Hunter George. Three plays after Heathwood received the kickoff, Mac Whalen’s arm was hit as he was attempting a pass, and Jordan Kay intercepted for the Skyhawks. B. J. Bennett then took two handoffs and covered 38 yards for the touchdown giving Hammond a 22–7 lead after the first quarter.

The Highlanders were stopped on their next possession and punted, but Bennett muffed the kick, and it was recovered by Propst for Heathwood at the Hammond 40–yard line. This seemed to be a huge break for the Highlanders, but sacks on consecutive plays by Joseph McDougall and Kyle Grant pushed Heathwood back, leading to another punt. This time, the Skyhawks fielded the ball cleanly and embarked on a nine play drive that culminated in a Bennett 12–yard run giving Hammond a 29–7 lead.

Hammond’s Aaron Walters scores a touchdown in Hammond’s 50–20 win over rival Heathwood Hall in the SCISA 3A State Finals. Photo by Jeff Blake/ColumbiaWeddingPhotos.com The Highlanders took the next kickoff and methodically moved the ball down the field to the Hammond ten yard line, but they could get no closer, and Fowble’s field goal attempt was wide right.

The Skyhawks were forced to punt on the ensuing drive giving the Highlanders a chance to get the ball back at the end of the half, but a roughing the kicker penalty allowed Hammond to run out the clock and take a 29–7 lead into the locker room.

The Highlanders came out in the third quarter and marched down the field in six plays, the capper a 25–yard touchdown pass from Mac Whalen to Joseph English. The extra point was no good, and Heathwood was down 29–13. The Skyhawks answered immediately, using only six plays themselves to retaliate with a 9–yard Nidiffer– to–Walters pass, the extra point making it 36–13.

The Highlanders tried to sustain a drive, but they turned the ball over on downs at the Hammond 26. They forced the Skyhawks into a three–and–out. Jake Ayers’ punt was short, and Walker Sojourner scooped it up and returned it 42 yards untouched for a Highlander touchdown. The extra point made it 36–20, the closest Heathwood would get the rest of the game.

Hammond moved the ball down the field with ease on the following drive behind Bennett, who accounted for 34 yards on the drive, but the offense stalled at the 3, and David Tucker’s field goal attempt was wide left allowing the Highlanders a modicum of hope in the fourth quarter. But, after an exchange of punts, Whalen completed a pass to English, who was forced into fumbling by Walters, and Beach Corontzes recovered for the Skyhawks. Two plays later, Nidiffer found Walters for his third touchdown of the evening, an 11–yard completion to make the score 43–20.

On the ensuing kickoff, Whalen tried a lateral to his brother Morgan, but Kay intercepted it at the Highlander 21. Six plays later, Bennett scored his third touchdown of the night on a 1–yard plunge that capped the scoring.

For Hammond, Nidiffer threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns. Bennett ran for 139 yards and three touchdowns. Walters caught seven passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns. Mac Whalen threw for 187 yards in his final game for the Highlanders.